U.S. lawmakers pay tribute to Navalny, blame Putin for his death

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers from both sides of the political divide united to condemn President Vladimir Putin for the death of Alexei Navalny on Friday and pay tribute to Russia’s most prominent opposition figure.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers from both the Senate and the House were quick blame the Russian leader and his government for his death, although Navalny’s own team has not confirmed his death.

Leading the condemnation was President Joe Biden, who said in a speech at the White House that Putin was to blame. “We don’t know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that the death of Nalvany was a consequence of something thatPutin and his thugs did,” Biden said.

Here are some of the other lawmakers who paid their respects.

Senators

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a post on X: “The death of Alexei Navalny is yet another heartbreaking reminder of who Vladimir Putin is: a bloodthirsty tyrant who thinks he can get away with anything. It’s another reason why we must continue to stand with the cause of freedom in opposition to Putin’s brutality.”

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said on X: “Putin’s regime is pure evil. Putin’s cronies murdered Alexei Navalny for having the courage to stand up for freedom.”

Senator Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said in a post on X: “Navalny laid down his life fighting for the freedom of the country he loved. Putin is a murderous, paranoid dictator. History will not be kind to those in America who make apologies for Putin and praise Russian autocracy. Nor will history be kind to America’s leaders who stay silent because they fear backlash from online pundits.”

In a post on X from the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick