United States (US) Senator, Rand Paul, has single-handedly delayed the passage of a $40bn aid package for Ukraine.
The decision by Senator Paul is on the basis that the huge sum ($40bn) is more than what the US spent on many domestic programmes, and for that reason, it will deepen federal deficits, which will also lead to worsening inflation in the country.
He stressed that “No matter how sympathetic the cause, my oath of office is to the national security of the United States of America, adding that “We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the US economy”. But supporters of the legislation have contested Senator Paul’s characterisation, pointing out that the approval would rather represent a massive increase in US military and economic aid approval.
Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, who is one of the chamber’s highest-ranking Republicans, intimated that “Helping Ukraine is not an instance of mere philanthropy”. He also added that “It bears directly on America’s national security and vital interests that Russia’s naked aggression not succeed and carries significant costs”.
On the other side, Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, who is also tagged as the highest-ranking Democrat, accused Paul of making “reckless demands”. According to Senate Schumer, “The package is ready to go, the vast majority of senators on both sides of the aisle want it”.
Senate Rules & Funds Support
Under Senate rules, it requires that unanimous consent among legislators is agreed upon to bypass lengthy procedural steps that can delay the passage of legislation.
Already, the allocation of the funds has received bipartisan support in the Senate and it was in the US House of Representatives earlier this week. It is also supported by US President, Joe Biden, with his administration warning that the remaining authorised funds for Ukraine would run out by May 19, 2022.
When the pending $40bn is combined with the $13.6bn Congress approved in March 2022, it would push the US aid package to Ukraine well above $50bn. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the over $50bn package to Ukraine is $6bn more than what the US spent on military and economic aid around the world in 2019.
A Breakdown of the aid Package
The breakdown of the package for Ukraine includes $6bn for intelligence, equipment and training for its forces, plus $4bn in financing to help Kyiv and NATO allies build up their militaries.
It also includes $8.7bn for the Pentagon to rebuild stocks of weapons it has shipped to Ukraine and $3.9bn for US troops in the region, as well as $8.8bn to keep the Kyiv government functioning. Additionally, more than $5bn is meant to provide food to countries around the world that rely on Ukrainian crops devastated by the fighting, and $900m to teach English and provide other services to Ukrainian refugees who moved to the US.
The Senate has scheduled a procedural vote on the bill for late Monday afternoon, with its earliest passage expected to be next week. Meanwhile, on Twitter, the Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria, Olexander Scherba, decried Paul as a “Putinterian conservative”, adding that “What amazes me is the amount of understanding [Paul] brings for Putin, but not for defending Ukraine’s liberty”.
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