Rep. Bill Foster on Actions to Uphold Democracy and Support Ukraine

Actions to Protect Democracy

• 🏛️ Congressman Bill Foster details his actions in response to threats against democratic institutions, including a rally outside the Treasury protesting Elon Musk's access to private information.
• 🏦 As the lead Democrat on the Banking subcommittee, he viewed tampering with the Treasury payment system as a mortal threat to the financial system.
• 🏫 He also joined a group of members demanding a meeting with the Department of Education when it was threatened, to understand their plans for potential shutdowns.

Support for Science and Bipartisanship

• 🔬 Foster spoke at the Standoff for Science rally on the Lincoln Memorial, highlighting the importance of bipartisan support for science and combating long-term damage from defunding research.
• 🤝 He engages in efforts to have quiet conversations with Republican colleagues, seeking to identify those with a "core of decency" willing to stand up for principles.
• 🗣️ Examples of Republicans taking risks include Senator Tillis's impassioned speech on behalf of Ukrainians, featuring images of atrocities.

Frozen Russian Assets and Ukraine Aid

• 💰 Foster is working with other members of the Financial Services Committee to redirect $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine for reconstruction.
• 🇺🇦 He notes that progress on this initiative was slow until Donald Trump's vote against Ukraine at the UN, which he believes shocked the civilized world.