Rand Paul stalls quick Senate OK of $40 bil Ukraine package

He'll catch a lot of flack for this, but Paul is right. Ukraine was the most corrupt country in Europe before the war, and you can be sure that those corrupt officials see the war as a way to cash in big time. By all means, support the Ukrainians - but sending billions of dollars to an unaccountable recipient is just reckless. If course, we know the senators want to keep their own arms manufacturers and other lobbyists happy, but people deserve to know where the money is going.

The crooks in the US congress have a history of using crises to push through outrageous and corrupt bills - they take advantage of the public's emotions. After all, it's not their money. Yet.

Rand Paul proving once again that he is Putin's Puppet - siding with the Butcher in Moscow...

He's just another example of the Republican Party's embrace of authoritarianism and rejection of democracy....

Putin and Trump are the defacto leaders of this new GOP....Reagan wouldn't recognize it now...

Good.

Thank you Rand Paul. The U.S citizens have already had 14 billion of their dollars squandered over Ukraine. U.S. citizens are also paying over 4 bucks a gallon to drive hours away from home to spend over a 100 bucks on baby formula—all in support of Ukraine. Thanks Paul for saying, wait up a minute.

40 billions, how many homeless or health care could it help in the US?.

Ukraine was the most corrupt country in Europe before the war,

Nope, that'd be Russia. Also, one of the reasons Ukraine hasn't been accepted into NATO and the EU is due to corruption issues. Integrating with the Europe and the United States would mean Ukraine would have assistance in rooting out corruption, something Russia obviously doesn't want.

He has a long history of demanding last-minute changes by holding up or threatening to delay bills on the brink of passage, including measures dealing with lynching, the defense budget and providing health care to the Sept. 11 attack first responders.

Yes, what a great guy. Let's hold up aid to Ukraine or healthcare for 9/11 responders if my spurious, last minute demands aren't met.

How casually it went from 33billion to 40 billion.

With nonsense like this:

$900 million to teach English and provide other services to Ukrainian refugees who have moved to the United States.

https://www.cato.org/commentary/whitewashing-ukraines-corruption

Ukraine has long been one of the more corrupt countries in the international system. In its annual report published in January 2022, Transparency International ranked Ukraine 123rd of the 180 countries it examined, with a score of 32 on a one to 100 point scale. By comparison, notoriously corrupt Russia ranked just modestly lower, 139th, with a score of 29.

Ukraine’s track record of protecting democracy and civil liberties is not much better than its performance on corruption. In Freedom House’s 2022 report, Ukraine is listed in the “partly free” category, with a score of 61 out of a possible 100.

Ukraine was the most corrupt country in Europe before the war,

Without a doubt!

Blacklabel - How is that nonsense? Better services for refugees including helping them to integrate and learn English is a pretty good use of funds, in my opinion. I will continue to press my elected representatives to help support Ukraine and Ukrainians (not that they need it, my reps are pretty pro-Ukraine/anti-Russia)

40 billions, how many homeless or health care could it help in the US?.

If you think that Rand Paul would spend that kind of money on the homeless or health care, then I would submit that you may not know Rand Paul.

Meanwhile our own military is 20 billion short on high priorities and we don’t even have enough baby formula for our own children with 8.3% inflation and record gas prices.

but let’s fund NATO countries militaries too? Dems have also hidden some US domestic spending in there too, of course.

Blacklabel - How is that nonsense? Better services for refugees including helping them to integrate and learn English 

It does not cost 900 million dollars to teach English to a couple thousand people.

It’s a slush fund ripe for money laundering. Things like this are why we monks the term “10% for the Big Guy”.

Meanwhile our own military is 20 billion short on high priorities and we don’t even have enough baby formula for our own children with 8.3% inflation and record gas prices.

This is a red herring. Even if the US didn't send a dime to Ukraine people like Rand Paul wouldn't support helping with formula, or record high gas prices

sure they would. America First.

Blacklabel - make sure you are letting your elected reps know your priorities. Democracy doesn't work if we don't.

Blacklabel - I do believe that the US will be taking in a lot more than a "couple thousand people", at least I hope we do. I will look into it.

Ok, the numbers I am seeing is that the US eventually hopes to take in 100,000 Ukrainians.

So that’s the number just created to justify the 900 million, right?

Same as people who say I bought this exercise bike cause I’m gonna use it 1000 times so it’s only 100 yen per use! Then it becomes a clothes hanger after a month.

do we get that money back if 100,00 do not come? What company is getting the contact? The Burisma School of English

this is a slush fund ripe for corruption.

This is a red herring. Even if the US didn't send a dime to Ukraine people like Rand Paul wouldn't support helping with formula, or record high gas prices

That is a bunch of BS. Rand Paul was the senior poster child that always railed against frivolous spending and unnecessary wars like his father before him as both are conservative libertarians. His record has always shown that as well an American first anti-Washington establishment member of congress.

https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/dr-rand-paul-introduces-school-act-empower-parents-increase-education-options-and-flexibility

https://ne-np.facebook.com/foxandfriends/videos/sen-rand-paul-on-need-for-us-energy-independence/935715197312356/

Blacklabel - good thing for you all of this will be auditable and knowable.

I am happy to share the below with you. Thank you for doing what it takes to be an even better citizen and participant in our democracy!

https://www.foia.gov/

https://foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/request

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_InformationAct(United_States)

sure they would. America First.

There's not evidence to back this up. Please, Republicans tried to take away healthcare from Americans and are trying to tax the poor. Republicans have 0 policies aimed at helping the poor/working class. "America first" is a meaningless campaign slogan, considering how we rank in healthcare and education.

Given the size of the federal budget, $40 billion is hardly breaking the bank, and if I had to choose, I'd much rather provide support to Ukraine, than build a dumb wall, or increase the US military budget.

A lot of people here do not seem to understand geopolitics, least of all Rand Paul. If you think the Ukranians are using American / NATO largesse to live the high life, I suggest a reality check.

There's not evidence to back this up.

Yes, there is, especially if you follow Rand Paul anyone knows this.

Republicans tried to take away healthcare from Americans and are trying to tax the poor. Republicans have 0 policies aimed at helping the poor/working class.

No, the Republicans believe in helping 22 million Americans that don’t have access to proper or no healthcare, not to take care of every American from cradle to grave burdening the taxpayer than they already are. There is no way the US can afford to care for 320 million people. We can’t get inflation under control under inflation up by 8.3% and we continue to print more money, money we don’t have and we are devaluing and this WH just doesn’t care. I am not sure if you have noticed, but we don’t even have baby formula and how is that possible in a first world nation? Of course it is this administration‘s fault, ask any parent with a child and they will tell you that.

"America first" is a meaningless campaign

Not to the majority of Americans. 

Given the size of the federal budget, $40 billion is hardly breaking the bank,

Liberals say that because they have no clue about the value of the dollar and the abysmal state the nation is in. This is why people want Democrats out because they continue to spend on entitlements and let everything else fall by the wayside, case in point the border. Liberals think it’s nothing. If the UK were connected to the rest of Europe there is no way that country would allow millions to stream in, no way!

and if I had to choose, I'd much rather provide support to Ukraine,

Ok, so damn with our own nation, we can scrape up the money and write checks for money we don’t have for a nation that gives us zero benefits, but for our own nation we have nothing. Seriously, November can’t come soon enough.

than build a dumb wall,

Yeah, every home had a wall, lock and doors, but the US shouldn’t, yeah, makes logical sense.

or increase the US military budget.

Yes, we don’t need a strong military, continue to encourage Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. No wonder the love Democrat Leadership.

@bass. Did you copy paste my previous post? Usually most posters don’t do research and just moan, I hate China, I blame Russia. 123rd is pretty high.

Rand Paul should demand every single bullet and missile and money for government officials salaries is thoroughly independently audited.

(we still haven’t found the missing $8.6 billion in Iraq Reconstruction Funds.)

the US is using 40 billion dollars that liberals were screaming could be used to "cure world hunger!"

and its not like Uklraine isnt getting paid by a dozens of other countries too.

Oh the things we could use this money for in America.

that 2 billion dollar wall looking super cheap right now. could have prevented 2 million illegals from entering and their associated costs. Immigrants have baby formula, by the way.

using American / NATO largesse to live the high life

well they seem to get to go the front of the line for asylum seekers in EU, UK, USA and Japan, including free flights, housing, social benefits and as mentioned $900,000,000 of free English lessons in USA alone. Ever tried to get a work visa in any of the countries if you are from Africa?

I am happy to share the below with you. Thank you for doing what it takes to be an even better citizen and participant in our democracy!

https://www.foia.gov/

https://foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/request

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_InformationAct(United_States)

oh yeah sure thing.

"Reasons Access May Be Denied Under the FOIA”

Spolier Alert: there are 9 of them that cover every single thing someone would want to know.

https://www.secretservice.gov/foia/exemptions

This money is gone, will never be accounted for and at least some will likely end up in Biden donor (or even his brother or son's) hands.

you know this.

Well, you seem to be doubtful, but I can help to reassure. Just because they can't deny a request doesn't mean they will. Also, you probably won't even need to request the info. It will be publicly available and auditable.

can* deny

Since you seem interested in how this money is being spent and accounted for, I am happy to help provide what insight I can.

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/10/1097883083/how-the-u-s-aid-to-ukraine-is-taking-shape

I don't usually recommend consulting an anonymous internet forum for research, but I will help to the extent possible.

its not even clear now what is being funded NOW, much less any expectation of an accounting of what will be spent. its 54 billion dollars now.

Just saw this too

Another $4.4 billion would go to the U.S. Agency for International Development to provide food aid to people around the world who are experiencing food shortages as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

SO thats not even to Ukraine. Plus I hear there is some money to the CDC and other things, very hard to find what all the line items are.

Can Americans who are experiencing food shortages have some of this money? No, right?

Can Americans who are experiencing food shortages have some of this money? No, right?

There are other programs for Domestic use, this aid is specifically for International use.

Here is an accounting for the aid up to Mid-March:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/16/fact-sheet-on-u-s-security-assistance-for-ukraine/

deflection shields activated. No one is talking about right wing extremists (who?) nor Obama.

Please do focus on why we sending 54 billion dollars to Ukraine when American taxpayers dont have what they need?

Blacklabel - if that $900M for Refugee Assistance including English instruction is not used for its intended purpose, then you can bet Rand Paul or someone similar will call it out. We will find out about it.

then you can bet Rand Paul or someone similar will call it out. We will find out about it.

Why not just not give it in the first place?

why do we have to wait until it is misused/stolen when the only thing that can be done by then is to complain about what happened?

no one is talking about the 2020 election here- except you.

so how bout some insights on 54 billion total now?

Why not just not give it in the first place?

because the point is to help the Ukrainian refugees

There's nothing being said here that can't be said about any government program.

It will be dropped in a few days.