SC’s Nancy Mace travels to Poland, calls Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis ‘heartbreaking’
South Carolina U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace traveled to Poland over the weekend, where she witnessed the humanitarian crisis unfolding firsthand and received classified briefings as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine.
The Daniel Island Republican was one of seven lawmakers from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform who traveled to Eastern Europe for the 48-hour bipartisan trip. In a series of 11 tweets, Mace described what she saw and how the war will affect South Carolina.
“The generosity of families taking in Ukrainian women and kids is nothing short of remarkable. At the same time heartbreaking to witness,” Mace wrote.
In another tweet, Mace shared a video of a man playing the piano at one of the reception centers for Ukranian refugees in eastern Poland. Mace posted it with the words: “Haunting. Beautiful. Humanity.”
Poland is a crucial ally in the Ukraine crisis. The country is hosting thousands of American troops and is also taking in more people fleeing the war in Ukraine than any other nation.
It is estimated more than 2 million people fleeing the war have come to Poland since Russia’s troops invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, making it the largest European refugee crisis in decades.
But what is happening in Ukraine will also affect South Carolina, particularly when it comes to the supply chain, Mace said.
“It will get worse,” Mace said of the supply chain issue. “It is imperative we take steps now to mitigate the negative impact it’ll have. Think neon and the chip shortage, lumber, wheat, rare earth minerals, etc.”
Mace has called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” for the attack on Ukraine, where hospitals, maternity wards and shelters have been bombed.
The Poland trip came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an impassioned speech to Congress last week, where he also played a two-minute video that showed the devastation of the Russian invasion.
In his live-video address Wednesday, Zelenskyy evoked the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 terror attacks, telling U.S. lawmakers through an interpreter, “Our country experiences the same every day right now.”
He asked Congress to provide additional support to help protect Ukrainian airspace and urged America to ramp up sanctions on Russia.
Mace predicted Putin’s actions “might just unite our nation (and the world).”
Republican Katie Arrington, who is challenging Mace for her seat in Congress, criticized the trip in a tweet and suggested Mace was using it for a “political photo op.”
“Nancy has spent more time on the Ukrainian border than our Southern border where drugs are pouring in!” Arrington tweeted Monday morning. “This is a National Security crisis and we need real solutions, not political photo ops paid by the taxpayers” of South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.
The seven U.S. House members who traveled to Poland were led by U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts. During a video briefing with members of the media Saturday, Lynch stressed the need for America to assist Ukraine’s military in their fight against Russian forces.
“The most urgent action that we can take is to make sure that the Ukrainian fighters — those valiant patriots who are fighting for their freedom — have every bit of equipment, every bit of supply, every bit of support that we can possibly deliver to them,” Lynch said.
President Joe Biden is expected to attend a NATO summit in Brussels Thursday that will be focused on the war in Ukraine and European security. Biden will also make a stop in Poland, where he will meet with leaders there.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 12:38 PM.
