U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Massachusetts, renewed his call for President Joe Biden to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of American weapons in Russia, saying it would "allow Ukraine to win this war, not simply not lose it."
Auchincloss' comments came during a taping of NBC10 Boston's "@Issue."
"To date, Joe Biden has resisted significant bipartisan pressure to authorize Ukraine to use attack bombs and F-16s and other U.S.-made weapons to hit inside of Russia," said Auchincloss. "Russia is hitting inside of Ukraine. Why can't Ukraine hit inside of Russia? Troops staging sites, ballistic missile launching sites, oil refining sites … these are the sinews of Russia's war economy. And unless we can take them out, Russia is going to be able to perpetuate its brutal invasion of Ukraine."
When talking about North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine, the Newton Democrat told NBC10 Boston's Cory Smith and Sue O'Connell, "We have an axis of authoritarianism that knits together China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. And they have a very thin ideological alignment, but a very deep commitment to attacking the United States. That's the one thing that binds them together. And if anything crystallizes that, is the fact that North Korea is invading Europe right now. If that doesn't mirror a response, I don't know what does."
Asked about Donald Trump winning a second term as President, Auchincloss told @Issue that the first order of business for Democrats is putting guardrails in place that would box in what the Congressman described as Trump's worst impulses and his most destructive tendencies.
"He has promised to politicize the military, to politicize the Department of Justice, to appoint RFK Jr. in charge of health care in this country," Auchincloss told @Issue. "We're going to fight back against any of those attempts because we have to protect the integrity of our institutions and the health of Americans."
Auchincloss identified tax reform and interdiction of fentanyl supplies being exported from China to the U.S. as areas where Democrats and the incoming Trump administration could work together.
Watch the interview with Auchincloss on "@Issue," and more, Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on NBC10 Boston.
