George W. Bush pushes back on GOP criticism of Ukraine funding: 'Not going to constrain' helping US citizens

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Former President George W. Bush pushed back on Republican criticism on U.S. funding going to Ukraine on the anniversary of the eastern European nation’s war with Russia.

While speaking at a George W. Bush Presidential Center event on the 20th anniversary of President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., the former president fired back on GOP criticism of funding going to Ukraine amid the war.

Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, the moderator of the discussion with former Tanzanian President Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, asked Bush for his message to U.S. leaders and critics of American intervention in Africa with AIDS and the Ukraine War.

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"I think we’re a big enough nation to do more than one thing," Bush said. "And continuing to fight against AIDS on the continent of Africa and supporting the Ukrainian freedom fighters is not going to constrain our capacity to help our own citizens."

Some Republicans have been critical about the amount of U.S. money going toward the war effort in Ukraine as inflation in America remains high. 

Several officials, including current Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke at the event on the anniversary of PEPFAR.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that PEPFAR is about "health justice" and saluted both former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush "for not only their leadership, but the birth of this." (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Pelosi was joined by her husband, Paul Pelosi, at the event. Bush gave the Pelosis a welcome during his time speaking at the event.

Pelosi said that PEPFAR is about "health justice" and saluted both Bush and former first lady Laura Bush "for not only their leadership, but the birth of this."

"This statement at the State of the Union," Pelosi said. "And I jumped up right away when he made this announcement representing San Francisco, as I do."

The former speaker continued and recounted a story of speaking with U2 frontman Bono.

"So, we know when President Bush made the announcement and Bono was involved in it," Pelosi recalled. "And I said to Bono, ‘No photo ops unless Congress goes big. We have to go big.'"

Pelosi said that HIV and AIDS became an issue for her from the "first moment" she took her seat in Congress and gave praise to Dr. Anthony Fauci, calling him a "national hero."

In his conversation with Kikwete and Rice, Bush recounted a story of receiving a "lion" from the now-former Tanzanian president.

"You know, he gave me a lion when I went to visit in Tanzania," Bush said.

"Not a live one," Rice pointed out.

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"No, it was a dead one," Bush quipped, illicting laughter from the audience. "But he had it stuffed, it's now in the Bush Library. It's got a little name, it said, 'Kikwete.'"

Kikwete was publicly tested for HIV/AIDS in July 2007, an act that encouraged others in the country to get tested for the virus.