McGovern, facing challenge from congressional candidate Sossa-Paquette, defends votes on Ukraine

WORCESTER — U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, the Worcester Democrat, avoided the wrath of a Massachusetts peace group calling for an immediate cease-fire and diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine.

Thursday, Massachusetts Peace Action camped outside the offices of three members of the state’s all-Democrat Congressional delegation — Katherine Clark, Jake Auchincloss and Stephen Lynch — to demand they support an immediate cease-fire and diplomatic solution to the war.

Those three are in the group’s crosshairs because Massachusetts Peace Action said the trio voted to send military arms to Ukraine, but made no statements supporting diplomacy.

Thursday afternoon, McGovern said Russian President Vladimir Putin is the only person who can end the war.

“The problem is one man right now,” said McGovern. “The reality is that to have a negotiation, both sides need to negotiate in good faith, and Putin has refused to do that.”

McGovern’s Republican challenger in November, Shrewsbury businessman Jeffrey Sossa-Paquette, said he has been a vocal critic of the war since it broke out in February.

“I agree with (Massachusetts Peace Action). There needs to be a cease-fire,” said Sossa-Paquette.

Takes aim

Sossa-Paquette took aim at McGovern’s voting record on Ukraine because he voted against military aid in March. Weeks later in May, McGovern voted for a $40 billion military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine.

Sossa-Paquette said he supported McGovern’s first vote, but not the second.

“(McGovern) did an about-face and flipped. Voting for the $40 billion is where I went after him. Make up your mind Jim. Go back to your original instinct before politics got involved.”

McGovern explained that in the March vote he voted for humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and voted against military aid because it was part of a U.S. Defense Department spending package.

“Overall military spending is excessive," said McGovern to explain his vote not to support military aid in March. "We need more money to help improve the lives of people of this country."

Flip-flopping

Flipping-flopping is a charge McGovern sent Sossa-Paquette's way.

McGovern said his challenger used Twitter to criticize McGovern for not supporting military aid in March, and then sent tweets after the vote in May that blasted McGovern for supporting aid.

Speaking to what he believes is Sossa-Paquette's shifting position on aid to Ukraine, McGovern said, “My opponent believes no assistance should go to the people of Ukraine to defend themselves against bombs. We disagree."

While McGovern believes the defense department's budget is too big and some of those funds should instead be used to address problems at home, Sossa-Paquette said the billions that have gone to Ukraine would be better spent at home, including on problems in Worcester’s 2nd Congressional District.

“We have a major housing problem,” said Sossa-Paquette, who would like to see vacant factory buildings in the district converted into livable units for senior citizens, military veterans and affordable housing.

Diplomatic solution

As for a diplomatic solution to Ukraine, Sossa-Paquette said NATO, the European Union and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken must negotiate an end to the war.

“It bothers me that Europe is not stepping up. America has invested $70 billion in this war, and the European Union a couple billion. That does not sit well with me and the American citizens.”

McGovern didn’t expressly state that he supports an immediate cease-fire, but he did stress ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, including his visit to Ukraine in early May as part of a Congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Massachusetts Peace Action is calling for the United States and Russia to meet directly and hammer out a diplomatic end to the war, but McGovern said it’s not up the U.S. to dictate the parameters of a negotiated settlement.

“Ukraine is a sovereign country under attack by Putin. They have to figure out what is acceptable for their people," said McGovern. “Atrocities committed by Russian troops every day are beyond comprehension. If we walk away and Putin overtakes Ukraine, what is next?”

Debate schedule not set

Meanwhile, McGovern and Sossa-Paquette have not solidified a debate schedule before Election Day in November.

Both ran unopposed in this month's primary.

McGovern pointed out he has always debated his political opponents and agreed to two debates with Sossa-Paquette.

However, he's waiting on a nonpartisan entity to host the debates and work with both campaigns to set the parameters.

“I’m just waiting on the invitations,” said McGovern.

Sossa-Paquette suggested two local radio hosts — Hank Stolz and Jim Polito — moderate the debates, and is waiting on the radio stations that employ them to present a proposal.

“I’ll give it into next week. If (the radio stations) can’t figure it out, then we can find a moderator that wants to do the debates,” said Sossa-Paquette.

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Group camps outside Dems' offices to end Russia's war in Ukraine