North Columbus News

Senator JD Vance of Ohio, alongside Representatives Chip Roy from Texas and Matt Gaetz from Florida, has reached out to Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to President Biden. The lawmakers are seeking clarification on discrepancies related to U.S. funding for Ukraine.

The letter sent by the trio highlights a significant gap between the figures provided by administration officials and those estimated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). According to their letter, "You went on to state the amounts: […] This comes out to $79.9 billion." However, they note that "The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has provided a spreadsheet that estimates the appropriated amount of funding for the war in Ukraine and countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine at $111 billion." This discrepancy amounts to $31.1 billion.

The legislators have expressed concern over this difference, stating that it is "a gap larger than the administration’s latest Ukraine supplemental budget request." They emphasize that "It is difficult to envision a benign explanation for this lack of clarity."

In their communication with Sullivan, they request an opportunity for him to clarify his remarks and provide a clear account of total budgetary resources allocated across all government departments for the conflict in Ukraine. The letter also addresses expenditures made by U.S. taxpayers connected to this conflict.

They underscore ongoing concerns about transparency from members of Congress regarding aid figures for Ukraine and other affected countries. They argue that dismissing constitutional oversight responsibilities as “bizarre” does not alleviate these concerns.

Earlier, on September 21, Senator Vance and Congressman Roy led a group of colleagues in sending another letter rejecting further U.S. funding for Ukraine's war efforts.