Western NC Rep. Edwards visits Ukraine, supports aid; splits with fellow GOP Rep. Greene

After an unannounced visit to Ukraine with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, Western North Carolina Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards spoke in support of "responsibly" participating in "stopping Vladimir Putin," an apparent hardening of his stance against the Russian invasion and increased interest in aiding the embattled country.

Edwards' Democratic opponent in the Nov. 5 election, Caleb Rudow, said he agreed with the first-term congressman on Ukraine but criticized far-right members of Edwards' party, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who sought on April 9 to block aid to that country in what Rudow said was a "self-serving" media stunt that threatened global security.

Edwards is back in the U.S. after his group of five legislators traveled to active war zones and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, military leaders and war crimes victims, according to a news release from Edwards' congressional office.

"The Ukrainian democracy, as imperfect as it may be, is quickly crumbling to Vladimir Putin, a card-carrying KGB Marxist murderer with no regard for human life," Edwards said in the April 8 release.

"I look forward in the upcoming days to sharing what I saw and heard on the ground in Ukraine, and to work with my House colleagues on how America can responsibly participate in stopping Vladimir Putin," he said.

The trip, which included a visit to U.S. Troops in Poland and a meeting with Marion, N.C., native Brigadier General Jerry Baird, was not announced publicly due to security concerns, said Edwards' spokesperson Maria Kim. It came a month after Edwards handily won his Republican 11th District primary against Christian Reagan of Clay County, who like Greene and others on the far-right opposed aid to Ukraine, with Reagan calling the conflict a "domestic dispute" that developed into a full-blown war.

Edwards said that since the inception of the U.S., the country fought the "principles of freedom, self governance, and human dignity" and stood with a world order that embodies the same. In Ukraine, he said, civilians were being tortured and murdered, children kidnapped, sexual assault being used as a weapon of war and Christians being persecuted.

“Our nation can no longer allow itself to fall prey to Putin’s propaganda about this war. Now is not the time for America to hide in isolationism, as Putin is trying to manipulate us to do," he said.

The Citizen Times asked what kind of aid Edwards supported and his thoughts on Greene's threats to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson if he pushes for an aid package.

The Democratically controlled Senate in February passed a $95 billion bipartisan package that included $60 billion for Ukraine, as well as money for the Israeli military, Gazan humanitarian relief and Taiwan defense assistance.

The House, with a slim Republican majority, has not acted on that bill, but is considering a $66 billion package with $47 billion for Ukraine as well as money for Israel and Taiwan. Greene has threatened to initiate a vote to remove Johnson if he moves forward with the bill.

Edwards said he would advocate for a version of the Senate package that was "more fiscally responsible and effective."

He said it was time to get past "internal squabbling" and that Johnson had his unequivocal support to advocate for the Republican House in a situation where it is outnumbered by a Democratic Senate and president.

Rudow, a member of the N.C. General Assembly's House and Asheville data scientist said "MAGA extremists" like Green had become the new face of the GOP.

"(They) are more interested in self-serving media stunts than doing the job they were elected to do," he said. "Ousting the speaker yet again won’t do anything to change the makeup of the House, but it will get her press at the expense of continuing the dysfunction in the House and threatening global security."

Rudow said he hopes that Edwards' experience in Ukraine will move him to encourage other Republicans to pass a package similar to the Senate bill."The expense of supporting Ukraine now is small compared to what it will cost us later if Putin is allowed to invade our allies with impunity and becomes emboldened enough to expand his invasion into NATO territories," he said.

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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. 

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Western NC GOP rep. visits Ukraine, backs war; splits with Greene