Bipartisan lawmakers call on Biden to speed up lethal aid to Ukraine

Bipartisan lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee came away from a three-day visit to Ukraine alarmed by Russia's rapid military buildup on the border and urged the Biden administration to "cut the red tape" in order to speed up lethal aid to Kyiv.    

Congressmen Ruben Gallego, Michael Waltz and Seth Moulton — all military veterans serving on the committee — told reporters that proactive measures, including economic sanctions and weapons procurement, were key to deterring Russia from launching a military incursion. 

"This is about speed," Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat, said at a virtual news conference Tuesday. "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin is moving very quickly…It's now up to the administration to respond quickly, and that's exactly what we, as legislators, are pushing them to do."