House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) defended his statement on military aid to Ukraine if Republicans win the House in the midterm elections.
McCarthy stressed that the aim was not to stop Ukrainian military aid, but to increase scrutiny of aid to the war-torn country.
“I think Ukraine is very important. We have trillions of dollars in debt,” McCarthy said. said on CNBC October 19th.
His comments came on the heels of his statement that he would not give Ukraine a “blank check” if Republicans won a majority in the House on the previous day’s headlines.
“It’s amazing to me that it somehow made the news,” McCarthy commented, referring to what he said in an interview with Punchbowl News.
“People will go into recession and not write a blank check to Ukraine,” McCarthy said. punch bowl news October 18th. …not a free blank check. “
The California lawmaker clarified his remarks in an interview with CNBC.
“Don’t you want checks and balances in Congress? This hardworking taxpayer’s money, don’t you want someone to oversee it? We have to get rid of wasteful spending in Washington,” he said. .
He also noted the upset that then-president Joe Biden, who was vice president, provided military aid to Ukraine in 2015.
McCarthy suggested at the time that Biden sell Javelin missiles to the state to protect himself from Russia.
“In response, Biden told me Germany wouldn’t like it,” McCarthy recalls.
“Then I’ll train them on the Javelin and keep them in Poland so they can move forward,” he insisted. He said.
“We believe we can do things smarter and stay ahead. That’s what I’m talking about when I talk about no-blank checks. I believe in accountability,” McCarthy added.
Voice of the Republican Party
His view echoed that of Rep. Michael McCall (R-Texas), a prominent member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, who also called for oversight of the aid.
Referring to McCarthy’s Oct. 18 remarks, McCaul said told Bloomberg: “I think he’s just saying he’s not going to write a blank check without oversight and accountability. That’s what my committee provides.”
“I think there is still broad bipartisan support for this effort,” he added. “We want our NATO partners to be candid and bear the costs.”
The Republican lawmakers’ comments come days after the Department of Defense (DOD) announced on October 14 that the United States would provide Ukraine with $725 million in additional security assistance.
Congress has approved about $65 billion in aid to Ukraine this year. A temporary government funding bill approved by lawmakers in late September and signed by Biden added another $12 billion for military and other aid to Russia’s neighbors.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on October 13 that annual inflation in the US was 8.2% in September, down slightly from 8.3% in August.
McCarthy argued that the Biden administration’s disregard for domestic issues that Republicans see as priorities, such as securing the U.S. southern border, prompted an intention to scale back aid to Ukraine.
“People are starting to value it,” he told Punchbowl News. “Ukraine is important, but at the same time it is not the only thing they do and it should not be a blank check.”
When the war broke out, support for aid to Ukraine gained bipartisan consent. But as the war drags on, the voices of dissent have surged, with reports emerging that the US economy is poised to slip into recession soon.
Republican lawmakers are questioning the need for federal spending abroad at a time of record high inflation at home.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (Republican-Colorado) Said Last month, Biden said, “We need to understand that we are America, not American ATMs.”
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Hannah Ng is a reporter covering US and Chinese news. She holds her Master’s Degree in International and Development Economics from the Berlin University of Applied Sciences.