Supporting Ukraine is Supporting Our National Interest
Read the entire proposed plan for victory in Ukraine here.
Work to Get Ukraine the Weapons They Need
The Russian military (America’s second greatest adversary) is being devastated at relatively little cost and without risking the life of a single U.S. servicemember. For context, the $24B the U.S. has spent on security assistance to Ukraine amounts to less than three percent of last year’s defense budget. Since February 24, the Russian military has lost more than half of its main battle tanks and, within just three months of the war, suffered more casualties than it did in the nine-year Soviet-Afghanistan war. Whereas the Putin regime has spent approx. a quarter of its budget on the war, U.S. support for Ukraine to date is closer to 1.5 percent of our federal budget.
Push the Biden Administration to Act Deliberately
Biden’s hesitation on weapons deliveries is prolonging this war and projecting weakness to the Kremlin. We’ve seen time and again when Ukraine gets the right weapons at the right time they win. Before Feb 24, Republicans pushed the administration to provide more security assistance to Ukraine, and faster. Biden continues to drag his feet, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee will push the administration to send the right weapons, like longer-range ATACMS, to Ukraine with the money that has been appropriated.
Conduct Oversight to Ensure Assistance is Spent Transparently and Effectively
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will demand more Congressional oversight to ensure U.S. assistance for Ukraine is being spent transparently and effectively. This will include public hearings so the administration can explain how American taxpayer dollars are being spent to support Ukraine. That is what the American people deserve. For example, we will call in the Inspector Generals that make up the Ukraine Oversight Interagency Working Group, which is tasked with coordinating the oversight of the U.S. Government’s Ukraine efforts, to ensure there are no gaps in the oversight of U.S. economic, development and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
Help Ukraine Stop Putin Before a NATO Ally is Targeted
We learned in 2008 (Georgia) and 2014 (Crimea and Donbas) that Putin will continue to pursue his imperial ambitions until stopped; if he is not stopped in Ukraine, a NATO ally could be next. Biden brought shame to America by abandoning our Afghan partners, cannot abandon our Ukrainian partners now.
Urge European Allies to Do Their Part
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will continue to push those in Europe who can do more to increase their support for Ukraine, particularly wealthier countries in Western Europe. Burden sharing is critical to ensure Ukraine wins. Much credit to Poland, the UK, the Baltic states, and others who have led the way in Europe. Aid to Ukraine has given the U.S. defense industry a much-needed shot in the arm; incentivizing industry to fix bottlenecks that would be serious vulnerabilities in a Taiwan contingency. It is also pushing our NATO allies to spend more on their own security.