Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul sat down for an interview with Newsmax where he made a call for an inspector general to be tapped to keep an eye on security assistance being paid by the U.S. to Ukraine in light of recent revelations that a healthy chunk of the money being sent to the country is not being used just for weapons, but to prop up the county’s economy as well.
Paul, during an appearance on “The Record With Greta Van Susteren,” made the case that sending billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine — which is all unaccounted for — is a practice that needs to be brought to an end.
The Kentucky Republican then stated that during the later years of the war in Afghanistan, the United States got an inspector general for the country to monitor funds used for reconstruction and to keep an eye on how money was being spent. Accountability is always necessary in these sort of matters because to do otherwise could result in money being used for nefarious and criminal purposes.
“I met him several times,” Paul went on to say, speaking of John F. Sopko, the agency’s executive since 2012. Sopko’s team featured “100 economists and technicians who monitor the spending, and he’s found billions of dollars that was wasted and stolen in Afghanistan.”
Paul stated that Sopko would be the perfect choice for leading a probe like this in Ukraine. He did admit, however, that his last try to get an IG put in place for this purpose back in May did not go as hoped.
“But I think we should have an inspector general monitoring the money. It’s the least we can do,” he added. “I mean, Ukraine has a history of being one of the most corrupt nations in the world.”
“The senator also said he takes issue with how official apportionments are broken down, with more than one-third of money being sent to the government for use other than the military.
“According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. sent a total of $46.6 billion to Ukraine between Jan. 24, 2022, and July 31, 2023. It sent another $26.4 billion in financial and $3.9 billion in humanitarian aid,” Newsmax stated. “Congress is scrambling to pass a stopgap spending bill that keeps the government open until late November or early December, giving lawmakers time to iron out a longer-term bill.”
“The Senate advanced its own proposal Tuesday, which includes $6.1 billion for Ukraine. Paul was one of 19 Republicans in the upper chamber who voted against it. The measure passed 77-19,” the report concluded.
Our economy, thanks to the handiwork of President Joe Biden, is currently going swirly down the drain. It’s critical that we know where every tax dollar is going and how it is being used. Waste needs to be reduced and spending brought to a minimum. We really don’t have the money to be financially propping up other countries. Especially during a border crisis where 300,000 a month are coming into the United States illegally, sucking up resources.
Having someone keep an eye on things is a good step to take.
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