Kamlager-Dove Discusses Ukraine, NATO, and Supreme Court Ethics on MSNBC’s ‘Symone’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 10, 2023
Media Contact: Maya Valentine | maya.valentine@mail.house.gov
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) joined MSNBC’s Symone Sanders to discuss the war in Ukraine, President Biden’s NATO trip, and the need for Supreme Court reform. Below are excerpts of her remarks and a link to the video.
To watch the full interview, click here.
On President Biden's NATO Trip
"...I want to just say how great it is that we're witnessing a sea change as it relates to foreign policy and the White House. You know, when [former President] Trump was in office, he torpedoed our global alliances across the globe. And so Biden seems determined to rebuild and strengthen those alliances by going to NATO [countries]. There's a big agenda on his plate. And I hope that he takes extra pairs of big boy and big girl pants with him to hand out to some of our NATO members."
"The first is making sure that everyone continues to be supportive of Ukraine and the war against Russia and autocracy. I was in Sweden not long ago at a Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue with a delegation from the EU Parliament. And they, too, are equally supportive of support for Ukraine and also making sure that Sweden sees an ascension into NATO, which is another important topic on that agenda. Russia needs to stop...They are losing the war – the PR war and the actual war. So how do we end this in a way that allows Putin to save face? And how do we help Ukraine rebuild so that they are in a position to then seek an invitation into NATO?"
On Sending Cluster Munitions
"I don't support the cluster munitions. You know, 10 to 40% of them failed to detonate, and then they're left, and then you know, they may or may not go off, killing innocent civilians...We haven't been using them since 2016. So it seems like it's almost a garage sale to the Ukraine, with very treacherous weaponry... They have made assurances that they are not going to use these in a way that will kill innocent civilians. But what we know is that a.) war is unpredictable, and b.) audibles happen all the time."
On Supreme Court Reform
"We should be looking at expanding the [Supreme] Court, and I think we need to have very strong ethics standards. The reports that have been coming out about a couple of the Supreme Court Justices are deeply concerning, astounding, and really call into question the legitimacy of this Court. So I am in full support [of reforms]. As you know, these recent decisions that have come down, including affirmative action, just really highlight the hypocrisy that is coming out of this Court and shows that it is now conservative, activist-minded, and controlled by a small faction of a very extreme Republican Party, and that is not what an impartial Supreme Court is supposed to do or look like."
# # #