>> NOW THIS MORNING THE WHITE
HOUSE IS UNDER PRESSURE TO DO
MORE TO HELP ARM UKRAINE IN
THIS WAR WITH RUSSIA, A
BIPARTISAN GROUP OF LAWMAKERS.
SO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
NEEDS TO TAKE FURTHER STEPS,
INCLUDING SENDING THOSE SOVIET
ERA JETS FROM POLAND TO
UKRAINE OF THE WHITE HOUSE
PREVIOUSLY REJECTED OVER
CONCERNS. IT COULD LEAD TO A
DIRECT CONFLICT WITH RUSSIA.
>> NBC NEWS CAPITOL HILL
CORRESPONDENT ALI. BUT ALI
JOINS US NOW FROM WASHINGTON.
ALI, GOOD MORNING. SO COURSE
THIS THE POLISH JETS HAVE BEEN
A BIG BACK AND FORTH. THERE
WAS SOME MISCOMMUNICATION ON
NATIONALLY BETWEEN THE U.S.
AND POLAND. BUT TELL US WHO'S
BEHIND THIS PUSH RIGHT NOW.
THIS PUSH HERE IN THE U.S.
FROM LAWMAKERS. WHAT ARE THEY
SAYING ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S
CONCERNS THAT IT COULD
ESCALATE THIS CONFLICT
FURTHER.
>> WELL, OF COURSE, THOSE
CONCERNS EXIST. I SPENT THE
BETTER PART OF LAST WEEK IN
PHILADELPHIA WITH HOUSE
DEMOCRATS WHO WERE ECHOING
THOSE CONCERNS, WHETHER OR NOT
THOSE JETS WOULD BE READY.
WHETHER OR NOT THE UKRAINIANS
WOULD EVEN BE ABLE TO USE THAT
AND EVEN WITH THE SITUATION IS
ON THE GROUND. HOW THEY WOULD
GET THERE. ALL OF THOSE
LOGISTICAL CONCERNS ARE PART
OF THIS AND THEN THERE'S THE
OTHER PART OF THIS WITH
UKRAINIANS ARE HOLDING THEIR
OWN ON THE GROUND AND ASKING
FOR MORE HELP. SOME SENATORS,
A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF THEM WHO
WENT TO POLAND OVER THE
WEEKEND SAYING YESTERDAY ON
THE SUNDAY SHOWS THAT THE U.S.
RULE HERE TO HELP WITH THAT.
>> WITH UKRAINIAN PEOPLE ARE
ASKING FOR JUST THE ABILITY TO
DEFEND THEMSELVES, GIVES THEM
THE ABILITY TO TRY TO STOP
SOME OF THIS RUSSIAN
SUPERIORITY IN TERMS AIR POWER
COULD BE ABLE TO SAVE LIVES
AND TO HOPEFULLY END UP WITH
PEACEFUL SOLUTION. TO THIS
END. WE DON'T FIGURE OUT A WAY
TO HELP UKRAINE PUSH BACK.
THAT'S MUCH LESS LIKELY.
>> SO LOOK, THAT'S THE
THINKING THERE FROM SOME
SENATORS AND FRANKLY, OTHER
HOUSE MEMBERS WHO I'VE BEEN
SPEAKING TO THE U.S. THOUGH,
OVER THE WEEKEND ANNOUNCING
THAT IT WAS GOING TO SEND
ANOTHER 200 MILLION IN
SUPPORT, INCLUDING AND
ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILE. THAT
BRINGS THE TOTAL OF 8 BOTH
HUMANITARIAN AND MILITARY
NATURE TO 1.2 BILLION OVER THE
LAST YEAR FROM THE U.S. TO
CRANE. YES. SO ALI, WHAT ELSE
BESIDES THESE PARTICULAR
WEAPONS TO LAWMAKERS THINK THE
WHITE HOUSE SHOULD BE DOING TO
AID UKRAINE IN.
>> IS THERE REALLY ANYTHING
THEY CAN DO TO FORCE THE
PRESIDENT'S HAND TO TAKE MORE
ACTION.
>> THIS IS REALLY ONE OF THOSE
THINGS WHERE WE'VE SEEN
CONGRESS BE VOCAL ABOUT WHAT
THEY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN ON THE
GROUND AND CERTAINLY THERE'S A
ROLE TO PLAY HERE. WE WATCHED
LAST WEEK, FOR EXAMPLE, A PUSH
TO BAN RUSSIAN OIL AND ENERGY
IMPORTS. BUT REALLY THE STORY
OUT OF CONGRESS HAS BEEN
THEY'VE ALWAYS SORT OF GONE A
HALF A STEP FURTHER THAN THE
ADMINISTRATION. THERE IS A
SUSTAINED PRESSURE CAMPAIGN
EVEN AS PEOPLE ON ALL SIDES OF
THESE ISSUES BOTH IN TERMS OF
A NO FLY ZONE, WHICH IS
SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN TALKED
ABOUT, A LOT OF CAPITOL HILL
AND OF COURSE IN NATIONAL
SECURITY CIRCLES. BUT THEN OF
COURSE, THERE'S A LOT OF
CONVERSATION THAT I'VE BEEN
HAVING WITH MY SOURCES ABOUT
CONCERN OVER HUMANITARIAN
RELIEF MONEY. YOU'RE HEARING
FROM OUR FOLKS ON THE GROUND
FOR DOING SUCH AMAZING STELLAR
REPORTING ABOUT THE CONCERNS
THAT A LOT OF THE ADVOCATES
AND GROUPS ON THE GROUND HAVE
ABOUT THIS. THIS BE ENOUGH.
BUT THEN ALSO THE REFUGEE AND
HUMANITARIAN CRISES THAT HAVE
YET TO ACTUALLY MANIFEST ON
THE GROUND. THEY ALREADY PUT
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THIS PAST
WEEK TOWARDS THE HUMANITARIAN
CRISIS THERE AT THE SAME TIME,
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A FEELING
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE LAST
TIME THAT WE SEE CONGRESS
VOTING TO PUSH MONEY
HUMANITARIAN AND OTHERWISE
TOWARDS UKRAINE. ABSOLUTELY.
ACTUALLY LAST WEEK CONGRESS
PASSED THAT BILL THAT INCLUDES
NEARLY 14 BILLION DOLLARS IN
AID TO UKRAINE. ANYTHING ELSE
IN THE WORKS.
>> YEAH, WELL, WE ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO SEE THAT LAST WEEK.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAID THAT THEY
WERE GOING TO TRY TO REVOKE
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.
MOST FAVORED NATION STATUS OF
THAT EFFECTIVELY MEANS ALL THE
FAVORABLE TARIFFS THAT ARE IN
PLACE FOR COUNTRIES THAT HAVE
THAT DESIGNATION WOULD GO
AWAY. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE
GOING TO SEE PRICE SPIKES. BUT
AT THE SAME TIME, THE HOUSE
AND SENATE ARE GOING TO VOTE
TO DO THAT. WE SAW THE HOUSE
IN A BILL LAST WEEK SAY THEY
WANT TO HAVE THAT WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATION SAID REVIEWED AND
URGING OTHER WHAT WTO OF FOLKS
WHO ARE IN THAT.
>> TO RECONSIDER RUSSIA'S
ORIENTATION THERE. NOW, OF
COURSE, WITH THE WHITE HOUSE
ANNOUNCING IT. THE HOUSE VERY
SUPPORTIVE OF SPEAKER PELOSI
AT THE END OF LAST WEEK SAYING
THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS
THE RIGHT MOVE IN PRAISING THE
ADMINISTRATION. BUT WE HAVE
SEEN THEM CONTINUOUSLY TRY TO
PUSH AHEAD AND TRY TO KEEP THE
PRESSURE ON THE ADMINISTRATION
ON THIS. ABSOLUTELY ALLEY
VITALE, AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU