Slams Biden’s “open-ended commitment to supporting the war, based on a strategy that is unclear, to achieve a goal yet to be articulated to the public.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Senator JD Vance (R-OH), Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX), and dozens of colleagues in sending a bicameral letter to the White House rejecting further U.S. funding for the war in Ukraine.
The letter to the White House reads, in part:
“Your request cites President Biden’s pledge that ‘we will stand with Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty for as long as it takes’ … These statements imply an open-ended commitment to supporting the war in Ukraine of an indeterminate nature, based on a strategy that is unclear, to achieve a goal yet to be articulated to the public or the Congress.
“The American people deserve to know what their money has gone to. How is the counteroffensive going? Are the Ukrainians any closer to victory than they were 6 months ago? What is our strategy, and what is the president’s exit plan? What does the administration define as victory in Ukraine? What assistance has the United States provided Ukraine under Title 10? It would be an absurd abdication of congressional responsibility to grant this request without knowing the answers to these questions. For these reasons—and certainly until we receive answers to the questions above and others forthcoming—we oppose the additional expenditure for war in Ukraine included in your request.”
Read the full letter here and below. Read more from The Wall Street Journal here.
Letter signatories include:
- Sen. JD Vance (R-OH)
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
- Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN)
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
- Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
- Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS)
- Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX)
- Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ)
- Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC)
- Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL)
- Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX)
- Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA)
- Rep. Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY)
- Rep. Bob Good (R-VA)
- Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH)
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL)
- Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-FL)
- Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK)
- Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN)
- Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ)
- Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC)
- Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ)
- Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC)
- Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX)
- Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX)
- Rep. Mary E. Miller (R-IL)
- Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL)
- Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX)
- Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX)
BACKGROUND:
Coach Tuberville has repeatedly voted to protect American taxpayers from funding a war halfway around the world—which does not involve a strategic interest of the United States—by opposing additional Ukrainian aid requests. Joe Biden and Congress have written a $114 billion check to Ukraine with very little accountability, oversight, or a plan to win.
While Senator Tuberville supports Ukraine and opposes Russian aggression, he does not think it is America’s job to fund wars that are not in the strategic interests of the United States. A recent CNN poll reveals 55% of Americans agree.
Now Joe Biden is requesting an additional $24 billion in aid.
In September, the White House confirmed U.S. taxpayers have allocated over $100 billion to the war in Ukraine thus far. The White House has failed to provide Congress with any real update about how the money is being spent or to lay out a clear strategy to win. In fact, in a recent classified briefing with Senators billed as an “update on Ukraine,” Sec. Austin and other Biden cabinet officials instead spent a large portion of the briefing criticizing Senator Tuberville for his holds on military nominees due to the Pentagon’s illegal policy instead of giving Senators a meaningful update about where $114 billion has gone. Further, there are serious allegations of graft and misappropriation of funds by Ukrainian officials.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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