Spartz & Comer Call for Oversight Hearing on Ukraine Aid
House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.), Representative Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), and Committee Republicans today called on Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) to hold a hearing to oversee and evaluate the federal government’s performance and effectiveness in the distribution of U.S. taxpayer dollars in Ukraine. The Republican lawmakers request Department of State Secretary Antony Blinken, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power, Department of Defense Secretary Llyod Austin, and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young testify at the hearing.
“In any crisis the speed and scale of response and proper implementation are critical to success,” said Rep. Spartz. “Congress must exercise its oversight responsibility more effectively and demand timely accountability from the Executive Branch.”
In response to the Russian invasion and subsequent war in Ukraine, Congress approved an emergency military and humanitarian aid package totaling $13.6 billion. The aid package provides $6.9 billion for traditional foreign aid, including humanitarian assistance, $3.5 billion for military supplies, $3 billion for U.S. deployment and intelligence programs, and $175.5 million for enforcing sanctions and other aid, including investigating cyber threats. Russia continues to attack Ukrainian infrastructure like roads and rails, posing a significant challenge to the delivery of aid. In the letter to Chairwoman Maloney, the Republican lawmakers stress the importance of ensuring red tape and federal bureaucracy do not delay the aid from reaching the Ukrainian people and military or lead to taxpayer dollars going to bad actors.
“The House Oversight and Reform Committee has a duty to ensure the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars sent to help Ukraine are spent effectively, efficiently, and transparently,” said Ranking Member Comer. “As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to wage war against the sovereign nation of Ukraine, we must ensure bureaucratic red tape does not slow down this crucial aid or fall into the wrong hands. Chairwoman Maloney must immediately convene a hearing with top Biden Administration officials to ensure taxpayer dollars allocated for Ukraine’s military and citizens are not wasted, abused, or mismanaged.” The letter to Chairwoman Maloney can be found at https://spartz.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/spartz.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/Letter%20to%20CBM%20Re%20Ukraine%20Aid.pdf.