Rep. Reschenthaler to Newsmax: 'Almost Insulting' Sending VP Harris to Europe

It's "almost insulting to Europe and the world" to send Vice President Kamala Harris to speak in Europe on the Ukraine crisis when she's "clearly not up to this task on the brink of what could be a war," Rep. Guy Reschenthaler said on Newsmax Saturday.

"[She] has proven herself completely weakened, ineffective with our own border," the Pennsylvania Republican told Newsmax's "Saturday Report."

"Remember, it was months ago that she went into Central America and blamed climate change on causing the crisis at our southern border, completely disconnected with reality, completely oblivious to their real facts on the ground."

And now, he continued, "we're expecting her to instill some kind of resolve with the Ukrainians."

Harris this week traveled to the Munich Security Conference and on Saturday spoke with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to reports, he told her Ukraine is seeking peace but also looking for support from the United States for its army.

Zelenskyy also spoke with President Joe Biden this week.

Reschenthaler told Newsmax that he does applaud the effort for diplomacy, but said the "hypocrisy is incredibly rich" when it comes to sending Harris to Europe.

"What the Ukrainians and our allies need is not tough talk by a woman who has not stood behind her tough words before," he said. "They need anti-aircraft capabilities. They need materials to wage guerilla warfare … the rhetoric needs to stop and we need to put arms, lethal aid, in the hands of Ukrainians to prep for this invasion."

Harris also spoke at the council meeting of the United States enforcing strict sanctions on Russia should there be an attack, but Reschenthaler said the sanctions should be happening now.

"We're not in the driver's seat," he said. "We're not being proactive on the international stage. Biden's weakness and his vacillation is inviting this aggression."

House Republicans have a proposed bill calling for strict sanctions now on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany and other economic factors, as well as a separate bill targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin and removing Russia from the SWIFT banking system, which would cripple its banking industry, said the congressman.

Such sanctions can be pulled when Russia backs away from Ukraine's border, rather than after it crosses over, he added.

"This isn't just about Ukraine," Reschenthaler continued. "This is about the entire international scene."

The Chinese government is watching what happens, and seeing the United States being "feckless and weak" will be encouraged to attack Taiwan, he added.

Americans will also be hit hard should there be an attack on Ukraine, Reschenthaler continued.

"There are some projections that if there's a long, protracted engagement between Russia and Ukraine, gas prices could hit 6 or $7 a gallon this summer, so there could be economic pain coming to everyday Americans, which will just feel inflation and will also hurt individuals that have to, for example, drive to work and are on a fixed income. This affects everybody both internationally and domestically."

Biden's steps to stop the use of fossil fuel in the United States have also "created this environment" to allow Europe to be dependent on Russian fuel, said Reschenthaler.

"If we had not shut down the Keystone XL pipeline, had we not done massive fracking bans across the United States on federal land, we would be sending liquefied natural gas to Germany, to Poland, to our allies in central Europe," said the congressman. "They would not be dependent on Russia for their natural gas.

"It's like he set your house on fire, yet he comes to the scene and saying, hey, I can get you a fire extinguisher," he said. "It's a little bit. It's a little bit rich, coming from Biden, who again created the environment for which the Russians now feel they can move on Ukraine."

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