Armed Services chair rips calls for stepped up oversight of Ukraine aid - POLITICO

“Second, Ukraine is spending the wealth truly well,” Smith said. “That’s wherefore they’re winning.”

The statement could beryllium a preview of however immoderate nationalist information Democrats respond to imaginable efforts to enactment Ukraine assistance nether much of a microscope than it already is. Republicans volition instrumentality implicit the House successful January, and Smith volition revert to ranking subordinate of the Armed Services Committee.

Some far-right lawmakers privation to spot assistance to Ukraine curtailed, but galore apical Republicans person insisted that the enactment volition proceed backing Kyiv successful its combat against Russia, portion besides boosting oversight. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has argued Congress should look to velocity up weapons to Ukraine portion insisting the wealth is spent properly.

Smith was responding to different panelist, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), who argued, “We request much oversight of the spending for Ukraine.”

“I think, yes, we request oversight, but we don’t request that arsenic an excuse to not money what we’re doing successful Ukraine,” Smith said.

The inspectors wide for the Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development person said they’re coordinating their oversight enactment connected Ukraine.

Congress has poured astir $66 cardinal into the effect to Russia’s penetration of Ukraine. That includes exigency backing for military, economical and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine arsenic good arsenic wealth for the Pentagon to replenish stocks of weapons that person been sent into the fight. Congress is besides weighing different $38 cardinal petition from President Joe Biden for Ukraine arsenic portion of year-end backing talks.

The U.S. has besides transferred billions worthy of weapons and instrumentality straight from subject inventories to Ukraine.

The monolithic influx of currency and subject hardware successful little than 10 months has stoked concerns astir whether the wealth tin beryllium spent efficiently and if the weapons could autumn into the incorrect hands.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and others delayed a $40 cardinal supplemental bundle successful the outpouring implicit a propulsion to empower a peculiar inspector wide for Ukraine aid. That bundle requires the Pentagon inspector wide to reappraisal the department’s execution of its stock of the money.

Even immoderate Democrats person raised the imaginable that ineffective oversight could interaction governmental enactment for much money. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said pursuing the transition of the supplemental that a afloat accounting of the already-allocated currency is “critically important for some past and aboriginal backing requests.”