One of many principal guarantees made by Republicans was that they might be sure there can be higher oversight and accountability relating to support despatched to Ukraine.
Whereas most People nonetheless help our continued help to Ukraine, a need to guarantee that taxpayer {dollars} are going to the precise folks and weapons are ending up in the precise arms is one thing most agree on universally.
Nevertheless, there was one Democrat specifically on the Reagan Nationwide Protection Discussion board that had some robust phrases about how he felt in regards to the push for higher oversight, significantly within the type of an audit on support offered.
Humorous, whereas audits are by no means enjoyable, I used to be at all times advised that if in case you have nothing to cover, you don’t have anything to worry in an audit.
However I suppose this particular person’s visceral response to an audit on Ukraine support could also be extra rooted within the data that our authorities is massively incompetent.
Rep. Adam Smith Says Requires Ukraine Support Oversight are ‘Russian Propaganda’
Smith says considerations for higher oversight make him ‘loopy’
by Dave DeCamp@DecampDave #Ukraine #Russia #NATO #UkraineRussianWar #RussiaUkraineWar https://t.co/uITPvV2Kfc pic.twitter.com/zKy1xtd7G6— Antiwar.com (@Antiwarcom) December 4, 2022
You Drive Me Loopy
The subject of Ukraine support oversight and audits got here up this previous weekend on the Reagan Nationwide Protection Discussion board.
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Home Armed Service Chair, Democrat Adam Smith, mentioned that when folks declare that the cash despatched isn’t receiving correct oversight, it “makes me somewhat loopy.”
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The truth that this lawmaker can’t perceive why the American folks would possibly lack belief in our authorities’s capability to guarantee that cash and property are ending up in the precise arms simply over a 12 months after the embarrassing Afghanistan withdrawal drives me somewhat loopy.
Consultant Smith breaks his emotions down into two factors:
“Primary, the give attention to that’s a part of Russian propaganda, all these tales about how the cash isn’t being spent properly.”
And his second level is:
“Second, Ukraine is spending the cash very well. That’s why they’re successful.”
Properly, in that case, we shouldn’t wish to know particulars about the place our cash and property are explicitly going? Our authorities is telling us it’s okay and that the Ukrainians are successful.
It’s not as if they’ve ever carried out this similar track and dance. However anticipate a second; I keep in mind listening to this not way back when it got here to Afghanistan and Iraq.
And for folks with an extended reminiscence than a goldfish, it was only a few weeks in the past that the Pentagon admitted – once more – that they’ll’t account for $2.1 trillion.
We’re presupposed to imagine they’ll lose trillions of {dollars} in our personal authorities however that they’ll completely account for all cash despatched to some of the corrupt nations on earth?
Simply how silly do they assume we’re?
Audit Ukraine!
The American folks need to know the place each penny has gone as a result of it’s the American individuals who labored exhausting to earn the cash within the first place.
Audit Ukraine!
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 5, 2022
A Studying Curve
I’m on the level that it’s nearly comical how our authorities doesn’t appear to get that they’ve achieved nothing to construct confidence within the American taxpayer that any of those bloated bureaucrats can deal with the enterprise of governing.
As I simply talked about, this 12 months marks the fifth 12 months in a row that the Pentagon failed its audit.
RELATED: GOP Guarantees Oversight and Transparency Whereas Nonetheless Reducing Checks to Ukraine
That’s proper; the federal entity that will get essentially the most vital quantity of funding can’t cross an audit. And never as in they’re lacking just a few printers or laptops, or the books are off by a couple of bucks right here or there.
The Pentagon has no clue in regards to the location of 60% of its property. This 12 months’s response is definitely the most effective but; apparently, they’re utilizing the Ukraine scenario as a teachable second.
The IRS is warning People that this tax season they have to report funds on Venmo, PayPal & Zelle of over $600.
In the meantime…
The Pentagon simply failed its FIFTH audit in a row, as they have been unable to account for 61% of their $3.5 trillion in property. $800 billion annual finances.
— Stephen Geiger (@Stephen_Geiger) November 30, 2022
A teachable second for what? The way to lose weapon techniques and money? Ukraine may train a masterclass in each, given its historical past with weapons laundering.
Lately it was found that the Biden administration has solely inspected 10% of the 22,000 weapons value roughly $20 billion which were despatched to Ukraine.
So, yeah, Mr. Smith, you’re proper; who’re we to query our authorities’s capability to do its jobs and know the place the stuff that our taxes paid for goes?
Russia, Russia, Russia
The left is intent on shutting down professional arguments or debates by countering with name-calling and grouping. Don’t query how or the place our support goes in Ukraine, as a result of in case you do, you help Russia.
RELATED: Pentagon Admits It Can’t Account for $2 Trillion – AGAIN
One of many foremost champions of Ukraine oversight is Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who I’ve little question was Congressman Smith’s major goal along with his feedback. I get it; MTG does appear to be the kind to drive folks loopy since she’s not one to again down.
She bit again on the Congressman, stating:
“So it’s Russian propaganda to demand transparency of the place the American taxpayer’s hard-earned {dollars} are spent?”
So it’s Russian propaganda to demand transparency of the place the American taxpayer’s hard-earned {dollars} are spent?
Hahaha, who’s Adam Smith anyhow?
No one’s shopping for the Russia Russia, Russia, Russia propaganda crap anymore. https://t.co/GKWAbdYzd3
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 5, 2022
Yup, in fact, it’s. I’ve even been labeled a Russian propagandist for writing about individuals who need higher oversight.
Ms. Greene’s audit proposal failed this week within the Home International Affairs Committee 26-22, with the Democrats saying that passing her proposal would sign that we don’t help Ukraine.
My response is that if Ukraine can’t comprehend that we are able to wish to assist them but additionally be sure our ‘assist’ is getting used for its supposed function, they might have to look elsewhere for his or her support.
It Doesn’t Actually Matter
Sadly, even when an audit proposal goes by subsequent 12 months when Republicans take over the Home, I worry it received’t make a distinction.
The Pentagon and State Division aren’t well-known for his or her cooperation with audits and inspections, as seen with the post-Afghanistan evaluations that also haven’t offered many solutions aside from our authorities and navy leaders failed miserably.
Senior Adviser with the Middle for Strategic and Worldwide Research Mark Cancian makes an ideal level:
“I believe it’s affordable to anticipate a excessive degree of oversight and accountability. It’s a must to take into account that a lot of the U.S. authorities can’t cross an audit.”
Is our authorities unable to cross an audit as a consequence of incompetence or negligence, or is it constructed into the system to necessitate a story we’ve all gotten used to accepting? I think about it’s all three.
And whereas Democrats like Adam Smith are going nuts over the insane concept of higher Ukraine support oversight, his counterparts are champing on the bit to trace my small enterprise transactions for just a few hundred bucks in Venmo; they balk on the concept of monitoring over $60 billion that might flip into over $100 billion to Ukraine.
Regrettably, a few of my congressional colleagues are extra involved about monitoring that $600 Venmo cost you made than monitoring $60,000,000,000 of your cash they despatched to Ukraine.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 5, 2022
Glad I’m getting extra authorities scrutiny than in a rustic recognized for illicit arms trafficking.
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