Although Americans face shortages of food and hyperinflation, the Senate passed a bill on Thursday to provide Ukraine with $40 billion in military and economic help.
The Details
H.R. 7691, the Ukraine Additional Aid Package, passed with an 86-11 vote.
Although the law received substantial Republican and Democratic support, several populist Republican senators rejected it.
They argued America must focus its attention on domestic concerns, such as 40-year-high prices and newborn formula scarcity.
Even though the law needed 60 votes to pass, Senate GOP populist politicians were unable to stop it from passing. However, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was able to postpone its passage until Thursday.
Paul told Alex Marlow of Breitbart News that every day, the US has to borrow $40 billion in order to provide tens of billions in military aid.
The senators chose not to vote on Paul’s proposed change to appoint an inspector general to oversee the billions.
BREAKING Senate passes $40 billion in aid to Ukraine, sending bill to Biden to sign which will most certainly occur. The money will be primarily for weapons. Only 11 NO votes & they were ALL from Republicans. Democrats are officially (by numbers) more pro-war than the right. pic.twitter.com/NYdCs1hHA1
— Fiorella Isabel (@FiorellaIsabelM) May 19, 2022
Paul bemoaned the “bipartisan agreement” among Republicans that they must give Democrats greater social welfare expenditure in exchange for higher military expenditure.
The bill’s postponement drew more attention, prompting many senators to doubt the need for the US to further act on Ukraine’s side during its battle with Russia.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has also come out against the Ukrainian aid bill, claiming this is not in America’s best intentions.
“Having to spend $40 billion on Ukrainian aid is not in America’s best intentions. It ignores domestic priorities (the frontier), allows Europe to live for free, overlooks key foreign interests, and lacks real control,” Hawley said.
“Isolationism isn’t that. That is patriotism. It’s all about putting American security and interest first,” he added.
“The $40 billion Ukraine bill reflects a return to national development,” Hawley added. “Wrong decision. I’m a no.”
All the big spending GOP members in Congress that voted to approve this need to explain where this money will come from. Biden asked for $33 billion. Congress with GOP help gave him $40. They gave Trump no such money to build a wall on the border here.https://t.co/YAMaTqqdIw
— David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) May 19, 2022
It’s Not Just About Money
“I endorse helping Ukraine repel the Russian invasion, but with rising prices, gas prices, and scarcities wreaking havoc on Americans households, I can’t support $40 billion in new expenditure”
“That’s unless it’s offset by cutbacks or taken from the already approved funds, particularly when the European Union isn’t trying to match what we’re to do to achieve peace in their own yard,” said Braun, who opposed the bill.
“I wholeheartedly support Ukraine’s efforts to counter Russian aggression. Nevertheless, I am worried about this specific request.”
“We are deciding on a $40 billion package, notwithstanding President Biden’s request for $33 billion. It’s critical to provide Ukraine with the assistance it requires, but we must also be realistic about the sum of money we invest,” Lummis, who opposed the bill, said in a release.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), on the other hand, claimed America must provide huge amounts of money in aid to Ukraine in order to “stand with the liberty people of Ukraine.”
