US House approves defense bill authorizing $100Mln for Ukraine
5 Min Read
Amid soaring inflation in the US, the US House approves a new defense bill authorizing hundreds of million of dollars for Ukraine.
-
US House approves defense bill authorizing $100Mln for Ukraine.
The US House of Representatives approved an amendment to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would provide $100 million in funding for Ukrainian military pilots, among other things.
"Authorizes $100,000,000 to provide assistance to Ukrainian military pilots and associated personnel," the text of the amendment that was adopted en bloc in a voice vote on Wednesday said.
The House also agreed to include a provision requiring an evaluation of the amount of cash supplied to defense contractors for acquiring replacement stocks of covered systems for the US in Ukraine.
House members also introduced an amendment requiring the US Defense Secretary to report to Congress every six months on the Pentagon's response plan to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
The US House is discussing and voting on 650 amendments to the NDAA, around 120 of which were passed on Wednesday. Proposals to use confiscated Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine, ban F-16 sales to Turkey, and limit weapons sales to Saudi Arabia are among the modifications that have still to be voted on.
US to send coastal defense systems to Ukraine
Last week, a senior US defense official confirmed that President Joe Biden will announce a new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine.
"The White House will be announcing the President has decided to provide another round of presidential drawdown authority ... this PDA package is assistance valued up to $400 million," the official said during a conference call.
The official mentioned that the new package includes four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), bringing the total number of units provided to Kiev to 12.
US Senate to approve $40-billion aid package
In May, the US Senate overwhelmingly advanced a $40-billion package of aid for Ukraine against Russia following an initial procedural vote.
The bill was put on delay as US Republican Senator Rand Paul, representative of Kentucky state, blocked a quick vote to approve it.
After debating whether the US should or should not send more aid to Ukraine, Republican Senator Bill Hagerty told Fox News, "I certainly don’t have anything against the Ukrainians. We want to see them win, but pumping more aid into that country when we’re not taking care of our own country — the best thing that [President] Biden could do is stop the war that he’s waged on American industry."
Read next: US approves $40 billion aid to Ukraine amidst inflation crisis
A week before that, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba the return of US diplomats to Ukraine, in addition to providing $33 billion worth of aid to the country.
"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to follow up on their April 24 meeting in Kiev," US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a state department readout.
"The Secretary emphasized the United States' robust support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's brutal aggression," the readout said.
What about the people?
The US approved aid packages amid the country's inflation and baby formula shortage crisis. The US government dedicated billions of aid to Ukraine, while it fails to aid its own people.
High inflation could become rooted in the US economy according to the Federal Reserve. As a result, the latter might be forced to push interest rates higher than expected in an attempt to manage the risk, according to meeting minutes of a policy meeting conducted on June 15th.
The released minutes of the meeting state that top officials "concurred that the economic outlook warranted moving to a restrictive stance," adding that "they recognized the possibility that an even more restrictive stance could be appropriate if elevated inflation pressures were to persist."
Read next: Democrats frustrated with Biden's ineffective leadership, management
On the other hand, according to CNN and USA Today, 40% of infant formula was out of supply in more than 11,000 locations throughout the US during the week of April 24, compared to an out-of-stock proportion of 2 to 8% during the first half of 2021.
"We are sending 40 Billion to a far-off war while our babies go hungry. No serious country would act in such a manner," wrote Jack Posobiec on Twitter.
Target baby formula shelf. We are sending 40 Billion to a far-off war while our babies go hungry. No serious country would act in such a manner. pic.twitter.com/XnT7RK8vRQ
— Jack Posobic 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) May 10, 2022
Similarly, Congressman Troy Nehl wrote, "You can support Ukraine without adding another $40 BILLION to our National Debt in the middle of multiple crises at home."
You can support Ukraine without adding another $40 BILLION to our National Debt in the middle of multiple crises at home.
— Congressman Troy Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) May 10, 2022
It is worth noting that the US has devoted billions to Ukraine, as US states and people are facing consecutive crises. The US failed to properly aid Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, countries in which the US meddled and led to their collapse. While exhibiting nothing but double standards, the US didn't only leave the war-torn people of the region but also its own people.
Read next: Yemen, graveyard of US-Saudi bloody alliance
