Do Not Abandon Ukraine During its Most Critical Hour

Target: Rick Crawford, Chair of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Goal: Support continuation of Ukraine aid and support mission of America’s intelligence agents.

A moderate member of one of the House of Representatives’ most consequential committees was unceremoniously ousted from his chairmanship in what many critics (reportedly including the member in question himself) are calling a politically motivated maneuver. Representative Mike Turner had served as the chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence since 2015. The committee plays a pivotal role in national security and in overseeing the nation’s intelligence-gathering apparatus. The removal comes on the heels of Turner having previously condemned President-Elect Trump’s claims about immigrants eating pets in an Ohio town. Turner is also an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Turner’s stance on Russia is especially important because he had long advocated for assisting Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s invasion of the country. With the change in chairmanship, advocates for Ukraine worry that aid could dramatically decrease if not end altogether. And if Russia is allowed this victory, it would embolden Vladimir Putin to take further extreme actions that would destabilize the entire region.

Arkansas Representative Rick Crawford has been named as Representative Turner’s replacement. Sign the petition below to compel the new chair to reverse his previous stance on Ukraine aid and to make non-politically motivated decisions that advance not only American security but the security of the entire world.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Representative Crawford,

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is crucial in maintaining the national security interests of the United States. Russian leadership’s imperialist ambitions pose an existential threat not only to American security but to world security. Echoes of Germany’s pre-World War II actions resonate in the invasion of Ukraine. If you wish to prevent another global conflict, then please reconsider your reticence on providing aid to Ukraine. The outcome of this conflict will set a course for the United States’ geopolitical future.

Further, please do not use the intelligence community as a punching bag for political retribution. The unseen work of these individuals is vital in keeping the country safe. Likewise, moderation and compromise are essential for the livelihood of this committee and for the preservation of the world’s most enduring democracy.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine