How they voted, what they said: NC, SC House members weigh in on Ukraine spending bill

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) –On Friday, the U.S. House overwhelmingly backed a $95 billion legislative package providing security assistance to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific.

Nearly two-thirds of the money — $60.8 billion — is earmarked to help Ukraine and regional allies fight back against Russia.

Led by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., the House voted 311-112 in favor — likely setting up a bitter dispute over his future as hardline Republicans have promised to unseat him for financially backing Ukraine.

Closer to home, political support was divided: U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, R-7th District, joined four other members of the South Carolina House delegation in opposing the Ukraine relief. Jim Clyburn, D-1st District, and Joe Wilson, R-5th District, sided with Johnson.

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Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., supported the Ukraine aid along with a dozen others from the state’s 14-member House delegation.

Here’s a look at what Fry and others had to say in explaining their votes.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Russell Fry

“While I am in support of Ukraine’s right to defend itself from Russia, we have already sent billions of taxpayer dollars to them without any explanation of what this funding has been used for and how the Ukranian war is progressing,” he said on Friday. “We must secure our border and address issues in America before we send additional aid to Ukraine.”
Fry voted in favor of $26.3 billion in aid for Israel and $8.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific.

Jeff Duncan, R-3rd District

“I’m disappointed that this aid package pretends that America isn’t $34 trillion in debt and facing the onslaught of Biden’s Border Crisis,” Duncan wrote on X. “It’s my belief that these bills should have secured our border and included a ‘pay for’ – a federal program to defund and reallocate money to cover the cost of the aid. However, that is not what the House was given for consideration.”
Duncan voted in favor of the aid for Israel and Indo-Pacific.

William Timmons, R-4th District

“While I believe it is in our nation’s best interest for Ukraine to prevail and defeat Vladimir Putin, I also agree with President Donald Trump that the United States should not be a disproportional backer of Ukraine compared to European nation,” he wrote on X.
Timmons voted in favor of the aid for Israel and Indo-Pacific.

Nancy Mace, R-1st District

“This was a real opportunity to get something done that both sides could agree with, with regards to border … I believe the American people have every right to be angry with Congress as a whole and both sides,” Mace said in a Friday night NewsNation interview.

NORTH CAROLINA

David Rouzer, R-7th District

“We face the gravest challenges since World War II. America must demonstrate we will stand firm with our allies and do what is necessary to enable freedom to survive,” his Congressional office said in a statement after the vote. “Tyranny is on the march. If our enemies prevail abroad, it will cost us far more here at home in money spent and lives lost.”

Dan Bishop, R-8th District

The Charlotte attorney split from his 13 North Carolina House colleagues to vote against the Ukraine aid.
““The Swamp creatures, led this time around by House Republican leadership, engineered a perfect betrayal of the American people to maneuver money for Ukraine through Congress while endorsing the Biden agenda,” his office said in a statement on Friday. “They torpedoed any remaining leverage that the House of Representatives had to force the Biden administration to adopt real border security measures, thereby blessing the ongoing border invasion that threatens to destroy our nation.”
Bishop voted in favor of the Israel security spending bill.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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