Bipartisan group of lawmakers push Biden to be more aggressive on Russia threat

Members of Congress are weighing in on the increasing military threat Russia poses to Ukraine, with some demanding sanctions to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin and others seeking information from the Biden administration or steps to secure the region.

A House Democratic aide confirmed to the Washington Examiner that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked the Biden administration to provide lawmakers with a briefing on the situation in Ukraine. Lawmakers have been asking the White House for updates on Ukraine, administration officials acknowledged Monday.

Pelosi’s demand for an all-member briefing came as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin put 8,500 U.S. troops on "heightened alert" for deployment to Eastern Europe due to the threat of Russia invading Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday that Russian military aggression could “come at any time” and that they are “prepared in any moment to take military action.”

In the Senate, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware is calling for sanctions against Russia with threats of stronger ones later if Putin invades.

“We should take up and pass a bipartisan bill that will show resolve and determination and apply some sanctions now,” Coons told ABC News. “But the very strongest sanctions, the sorts of sanctions that we use to bring Iran to the table, are something that we should hold out as a deterrent to prevent Putin from taking the last step of invading Ukraine.”

Congress is not in session this week, but that did not stop lawmakers from offering directives to the Biden administration for deterring Putin.

The top Republicans on the House Intelligence and Armed Services panels wrote to Austin Monday, calling on him to “expedite” the sale and transfer of M1A2 Abrams tanks to Poland.

Reps. Mike Rogers of Alabama, Mike Turner of Ohio, and Lisa McClain of Michigan wrote a letter to Austin, citing “the need to respond by expeditiously reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank and said equipping Poland with the tanks “would send an important message to both NATO and the Kremlin.”

Lawmakers in both parties are eager to avoid another U.S.-involved conflict overseas and are urging the Biden administration and NATO allies to stop Putin from invading Ukraine.

Russian officials deny there is any plan to invade the country. However, it has amassed military equipment and troops at the border, prompting analysts to believe the threat of an invasion is mounting.

Rep. Richard Hudson, a North Carolina Republican and chairman of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, issued a statement calling on the Biden administration to increase military aid to Ukraine.

"The U.S. and our allies must remain committed to deterring further Russian aggression,” Hudson said. “We are resolved that Putin must stand down and move troops away from Ukraine's border.”

Republicans criticized Biden’s past policies with foreign aggressors and said he needs to toughen up to prevent an invasion.

“They see a very weak administration, and President Putin sees every opportunity to do what he wants to do in Ukraine with very little pushback from the United States," Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, said on CNN. “So we need to have firm resolve with this. We need to work with our NATO allies and make sure an invasion does not happen.”