US Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-9), who represents Schuylkill County in Congress, is attracting plenty of attention this weekend after his vote on a bill that would provide $61 billion more to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
The $61 billion Ukraine bill was part of a $95 billion foreign aid package that also provides support to Israel and the Indo-Pacific region.
House members voted 311-112-1, with 7 members not voting, to approve the Ukraine bill. That 1 in the final tally is Meuser. Rather than supporting it or voting against it, Meuser voted Present on Ukraine aid.
A Present vote is basically the equivalent of not taking a side on the legislation.
Efforts to reach Meuser for an explanation of his vote have gone unanswered. And he didn’t appear on any other media to offer a reason why he voted Present on the Ukraine bill.
For Meuser, the Ukraine aid bill presents a bit of a conundrum.
He, like a growing number of Republicans in Congress, have grown weary with the seemingly endless bills sending pallets of money to Ukraine. During Saturday’s vote on the bill, 112 Republicans voted against it and only 101 voted for it. All 210 Democrats voting on the aid were in favor of sending the money to Ukraine.
On the other hand, Meuser represents the part of the country – specifically Cass Twp. in Schuylkill County – with the highest concentration of people with Ukrainian descent.
His counterpart in Congress, Rep. Susan Wild (PA-7) went after Meuser on X after Saturday’s vote.
Wild wrote in a repost of another post on the site that made mention of Meuser’s Present vote, “The Ukrainian community in PA-09 need to know this. That includes the counties of Bradford, Columbia, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties, as well as parts of Berks, Luzerne, and Lycoming counties.”
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...
insider
April 21, 2024 at 9:21 pm
Full salary for a man with a*present”vote???Pathetic..Putin puppet????
James EISENHART
April 21, 2024 at 9:59 pm
I’m glad he did at least that. Ukrainian people are salt of the earth and deserve our support,but their leadership,like ours is corrupt and venal. They both are working against the working people.
Mueser is getting it,I wasn’t going to vote for him,but will look closer. Hey Ukraine war supporters-you started with an army of 620,000,taken almost thst many in dead and wounded. Don’t their LIVES MATTER?
insider
April 23, 2024 at 9:54 pm
“At least that”..???. voting present is a total cop out…period.
Abby
April 22, 2024 at 11:50 am
People are weary with sending Ukraine billions of dollars; yet seem to be losing the war lately. I know why the DemonRats want to keep spending endless taxpayer money that we don’t have on wars to stop communism or terrorism. Most Americans do, too, but they also want an accounting of where the money going. They aren’t getting that and there is a theory that the government is corrupt.
Frank
April 23, 2024 at 6:52 am
The only people making out in this Ukraine war? Follow the money! Arms dealers and politicians. Black Rock owns the arms dealers AND got the contract for reconstruction of Ukraine, which will dwarf what tax dollars we are sending now. It’s terrible all the money going down the tubes. I’m 1/4 Ukrainian and have plenty of Ukrainian relatives. There’s a reason they are here and not there. Ukraine is corrupt as the day is long. And we are paying for it and making a small amount of people very wealthy while thousands get killed.