In the wake of the Russian siege on Ukraine and heavy sanctions issued by U.S. President Biden, Bay Area congressmen are reacting to the chilling incidents of the day and working to figure out what the next steps may look like.
Congressman John Garamendi, who represents the 3rd congressional district in the Bay Area and Sacramento, told KCBS Radio's "Ask An Expert" there's work to be done on Capitol Hill.
"We should be responding in solidarity within the congress," Garamendi said. "We must pass immediately, hopefully before the state of the union on Tuesday, a very significant, very robust and very encompassing sanctions legislation authorizing the President to put in place sanctions."
He said Putin's demands signal the end of law and international order and in retaliation, the United States must go after Russia's economy, both short-term and long-term. "He's setting up a situation that is a radical change and a very dangerous one, so congress: we have work to do," Garamendi stated.
Congressman Eric Swalwell, who represents the 15th congressional district in the East Bay, echoed Garamendi's sentiment, expressing outrage at Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"As a leader in the world, it's on the U.S. to make sure that he fails, and we must make sure that people understand why he has to fail," he told KCBS Radio. "Inside his own country he kills journalists and jails his opponents and outside his country he has sought to disrupt democracy worldwide, including in the United States in 2016."
The world hasn't seen this type of war in 80 years.
"What he has done in Ukraine is the largest invasion since World War II of a free people and it cannot stand," Swalwell urged. "With our allies we must work to put the harshest sanctions to stop money, travelers and oil going to and from Russia."
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