Thomas Massie on Biden’s $38B Ukraine Aid Request: ‘Demand a Halt. Demand an Audit. Demand an Inspector General’

 Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) slammed the Biden administration’s $38 billion request in additional aid for Ukraine that would bring the total spent on Ukraine in 2022 to twice as much spent on roads and bridges in the United States.

The additional $37.7 billion request, if approved, would bring the total to $104, for just the 2022 calendar year. Massie called for a halt to the request and an audit, as well as an inspector general to oversee the aid.

“Biden’s latest Ukraine spending request will put the US Congress on a trajectory to spend TWICE as much money on Ukraine as we spend on roads and bridges in a year,” he tweeted Thursday morning.

“No one can tell you where it’s all gone or going. Demand a halt. Demand an audit. Demand an Inspector General,” he added.

The Biden administration this week asked Congress for the additional aid package, which includes approximately $22 billion in defense aid and approximately $16 billion in other kinds of assistance to Ukraine.

The path for more aid next year is expected to become more difficult with Republicans winning control of the House in the 2022 midterms. 

Some Republicans have pushed for an inspector general for Ukraine aid spending, given the high amounts and low visibility into whether the money or weapons shipped are being used efficiently.

“Joe Biden is requesting another $37+ billion in Ukraine aid — with ZERO accountability. In July, I introduced Amdt. 1109 to the NDAA to establish an Inspector General for Ukrainian Military Aid to oversee these funds. Democrats BLOCKED it. Accountability is coming in January,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) tweeted.

The Biden administration is also asking for $10 billion more for the COVID response efforts. The requests comes ahead of a looming December 16 deadline to fund the government before a shutdown.