Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Celebrated by Southwest Washington Ukrainian Community Upon Returning Home

Resources / Press Share on Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Celebrated by Southwest Washington Ukrainian Community Upon Returning Home Sep 18, 2026 Press VANCOUVER, WA — Upon her return to PDX International Airport late in the evening on a school night, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez was welcomed by a large crowd of local Ukrainian American families to celebrate her recent vote to pass additional harsh sanctions targeting Russia’s ability to finance its war against Ukraine and to thank her for being one of only two Democrats to vote to ensure this sanctions package reached the House floor. On Tuesday, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez cast the deciding vote on the motion that brought the Russia sanctions package to the House floor. In recent months, Russia has targeted Ukrainian population centers with relentless waves of drone attacks. This sanction package targets Russia’s ability to finance its war against Ukraine by penalizing the biggest buyers of Russian oil. On Wednesday, t he sanctions bill passed in the House 262-159 , with 58 Democrats supporting. The legislation previously passed the United States Senate on a bipartisan basis  86-11 on August 7, 2026, including support of both U.S. Senators from Washington, and the President is expected to sign the bill into law soon. Video of her arrival can be watched HERE. Members of the Southwest Washington Ukrainian community thank Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez for her vote of support. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez is greeted by Mikhail Pavenko, a volunteer Chaplain in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez hands out sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, gifted to her by the delegation. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is greeted by Ihor Levkiv, President of the Ukrainian-American Cultural Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez greets local constituents of Ukrainian heritage. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez is welcomed by constituents thanking her for her support of the Ukrainian community. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez discusses support for Ukraine with a constituent at PDX. A folder with the above images for download can be found HERE. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez is a proud supporter of Ukraine’s fight to stop Russia’s invasion and has worked continuously to aid Ukrainian refugees displaced by the conflict. In 2024, she introduced the Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act and voted to pass HR 813 , allocating over $60 billion in funding for Ukrainian defense. More recently in the FY27 Defense Appropriations markup, she spoke in support of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a provision to strengthen domestic manufacturing capability to support Ukrainian defense. Additionally, Rep Gluesenkamp Perez supports Ukrainians living in Southwest Washington through her casework operation, helping constituents facing issues with federal agencies. To get in touch or learn about how her office can help with federal agencies, please visit her casework page or Ukrainian Language casework page . #### Share on