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Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul gave the following remarks at a full committee hearing with the Inspectors General of the State Department, USAID, and Department of Defense on the transparency & accountability mechanisms for U.S. assistance to Ukraine. 

WATCH HERE.

-Remarks as delivered-

It’s been a year since Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine.

And in response, Europe has provided significant aid, but must continue to do more the keep the Government of Ukraine from defaulting, and ensure it is able to prosecute this war.

Additionally, Congress has also provided a significant amount of assistance to Ukraine to ensure Putin’s aggression is stopped at Ukraine’s border – and that a NATO ally is not next.

I have supported U.S. assistance, because a victory by Putin in Ukraine would further embolden America’s adversaries, from Chairman Xi in Beijing to the Ayatollah in Tehran to Kim Jong Un in North Korea.

However, it’s imperative the American people know about the existing accountability mechanisms, including third-party monitors such as Deloitte, and the robust oversight being conducted by Congress, and in particular, this committee.

When Republicans took the majority, we made it very clear that accountability will be paramount to continued assistance in Ukraine.

This is just the first of many hearings and briefings I will hold to ensure the assistance we are providing Ukraine is being used as intended.

Of the 113 billion dollars appropriated across four supplementals, approximately 60 percent is going to American troops, American workers, and to modernizing American stockpiles.

In fact, only 20 percent of the funding is going directly to the Ukrainian government in the form of direct budgetary assistance.

As required by law, these funds are only disbursed to the Ukraine following verification that the money is spent on approved items and activities.

All funds also are subject to external third-party monitoring by Deloitte. They are conducting randomized spot checks to verify the use of this assistance.

Additionally, they are working with Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance to review its monitoring, transparency, verification, and reporting systems and procedures.

Today, we have the opportunity to question the independent Inspectors General from the Department of State, USAID, and the Department of Defense.

This is the first time all three of you have appeared together before any committee to discuss your oversight role and the 64 planned and ongoing audits and reviews of U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

Your work is a critical component to ensure that Congress is being good stewards of taxpayers’ money.

And it is necessary to prevent waste, fraud, or abuse and, if need be, investigate and resolve any incidents.

Congress has also been exercising oversight. Through the passage of several bills, we have ensured that there have been 39 accountability provisions passed into law.

Since day one, as the chairman of this committee, I have been actively exercising my constitutionally guaranteed responsibility to pursue stringent oversight as well.

My first committee meeting was a classified briefing on the U.S. response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And last month, I led a congressional delegation to Ukraine and Poland to conduct in-person oversight of U.S. aid to Ukraine.

I saw firsthand how the process is working and delivered a clear message not only to our embassy team, but also to President Zelenskyy about the importance of U.S. aid to be spent appropriately to guarantee continued support.

In short, every dollar counts.

The Biden administration should expect this committee to continue to be vigilant in demanding transparency and accountability for U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

To be clear, I do not conduct this oversight to undermine or question the importance of support for Ukraine. To the contrary, oversight should incentivize the administration and Ukraine to use funds from Congress with the highest degree of efficiency and effectiveness.

While there is strong bipartisan support on this committee and in this Congress for the continued support of Ukraine, transparency and accountability are critical to ensure the aid we are providing is being used as intended, and that it advances U.S. national security interests.

The American taxpayer wants and deserves accountability. They want to and deserve to know where their money is going.

And in closing I just want to say as I met with all three of you, as the first supplemental was passed, I know speaking with the State Department, with Samantha Power at USAID, with the Department of Defense, with our ambassador to Ukraine.

I stressed to them the importance of putting mechanisms early in place, from day one. To insure we had accountability in place and I think we’re gonna hear from you how that is actually has been working.

It’s always better to be right at the beginning rather than later on when something wrong has happened.

So I really appreciate you being here today and I look forward to your testimony.

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