Can we afford to give Ukraine another $37.7 billion in aid with the FTX scandal in the news and the lame-duck session of Congress in the future? That is a question leaders in the Capitol will be dealing with now that the White House has asked for that massive amount.
According to reports, the proposed aid package is going to include things like $21.7 billion for equipment and ammunition for Ukraine and to replenish DoD drawdowns and $14.5 billion for “direct budget support to Ukraine, critical wartime investments and security assistance as well as to strengthen global food security and provide humanitarian assistance.”
The package is also planning to include $626 million for “nuclear security” in Ukraine and modernizing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and $900 million for health care and support services to Ukrainians.
Before these numbers can be considered real and not just “authorizations,” Congress has to appropriate the money.
Some are having trouble thinking about adding to the pot of money that has already been appropriated for Ukraine.
One of the reasons for the debate is the idea that this will be rammed through a lame-duck session of congress. That kind of action is not respected in a serious Congress when entertaining funding requests.
A proposal of this amount should have a hearing so that the American public knows exactly what the money is going to be used for. This is especially true when it is for a nation’s defense.
One of the questions is how the Strategic Petroleum Reserve relates to anything other than Joe Biden a war on oil and gas.
Another question has to do with the money we spend being independently audited. Putin’s war in Ukraine has already shown the Defense Department how much our manufacturing base has been refocused on multi-billion dollar weapons systems with components produced in 435 Congressional districts.
This war has made it clear that America needs to be able to produce millions of rounds of artillery ammunition and hundreds of thousands of GPS-guided rockets.
There are real reasons why Congress should pause before making the wrong decision quickly.
