Daniel Wolfram
Fresh off their midterm win, Democrats seek to dismantle White House Russia policy and investigate Jared Kushner.
Democratic lawmakers are starting their first week back in Congress after the midterm elections by creating a massive military aid package for Ukraine worth up to $15 billion.
The party, which gained control of both chambers of Congress, is making plans to redirect the course that President Donald Trump and the Republican Party had laid out for Ukraine during the first two years in office, according to the Financial Times.
To speed things up, lawmakers want to attach the emergency funds to the annual National Defense Authorization Act. That defense policy bill must pass before the current session ends. Time is short as winter is approaching fast in Ukraine.
Missiles and power
Protecting Ukrainian power grids is at the top of the agenda for the Democrats. With temperatures plunging, lawmakers want to protect vulnerable power stations from Russian missile attacks before the cold weather sets in.
Missiles are also high on the Democratic checklist. Discussions focus on air defense interceptors, intelligence sharing, and secure access to Starlink satellite links, which frontline troops rely on daily to communicate.
Weapons are only half the battle. Fresh off their midterm victory, Democrats also plan to implement further sanctions on Russia’s defense and energy industries while ramping up oversight of Donald Trump’s foreign policy choices, which have heavily favored the Kremlin since 2024.
Scrutiny for Trump
Capitol Hill is preparing aggressive oversight of the White House. Lawmakers want a closer look at international business dealings involving the Trump administration, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Democrats are also moving to overhaul sanctions legislation originally tied to the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham because of the loopholes Trump has used.
As the Financial Times reported, the Trump administration used exemptions to relax restrictions on Russian diesel supplies headed for global markets. That measure cleared the Senate 86-11 before stalling in the House.
According to Politico, Democrats blocked it because they opposed giving the White House unchecked power to impose 100 percent tariffs on countries buying Russian fuel.
