Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) wants to ensure that the $40 billion dollars en route to Ukraine is being well spent; he wants the bill to expand an Afghanistan inspector general role to include oversight of the aid package, The Hill reports.
And if he can’t have that, the bill will stall.
From The Hill…
Paul blocked the votes because he wants his language inserted into the text of the bill instead of having to take his chance with an amendment vote, which could be blocked. The stalemate will delay the Senate’s passage of the Ukraine package until at least next week, and potentially beyond.
“I think they’re going to have to go through the long way,” Paul told The Hill about what comes next after the floor standoff.
The roadblock comes after senators and staff haggled privately for hours on Thursday to try to find a path toward passing the Ukraine aid before they wrapped up their work for the week. Senators were also eager to avoid making changes to the bill, which would require it to go back to the House for a second vote.
My oath of office is to the U.S. Constitution, not to any foreign nation. Congress is trying yet again to ram through a spending bill – one that I doubt anyone has actually read – and there’s no oversight included into how the money is being spent.
“Americans are feeling the pain [from inflation] and Congress seems intent only on adding to that pain by shoveling more money out the door as fast as they can,” Paul said.
The Senator elaborated on Twitter:
“My oath of office is to the U.S. Constitution, not to any foreign nation. Congress is trying yet again to ram through a spending bill – one that I doubt anyone has actually read – and there’s no oversight included into how the money is being spent. All I requested is an amendment to be included in the final bill that allows for the Inspector General to oversee how funds are spent. Anyone who is opposed to this is irresponsible.”
All I requested is an amendment to be included in the final bill that allows for the Inspector General to oversee how funds are spent. Anyone who is opposed to this is irresponsible.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 13, 2022
“While I sympathize with the people of Ukraine, and commend their fight against Putin, we cannot continue to spend money we don’t have. Passing this bill brings the total we’ve sent to Ukraine to nearly $54 billion over the course of two months. It’s threatening our own national security, and it’s frankly a slap in the face to millions of taxpayers who are struggling to buy gas, groceries, and find baby formula.”
It’s threatening our own national security, and it’s frankly a slap in the face to millions of taxpayers who are struggling to buy gas, groceries, and find baby formula.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 13, 2022
The vote could now be pushed out to next week or beyond.
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