Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why is no one pointing out that Rand Paul’s statement is inaccurate? Why are they not challenging him and asking him if he read the bill?

There are multiple Inspectors General, as well as special US Congressional Oversight in the bill. The US Congressional Oversight report requirements are retroactive to February 24th. Some of the money appears to be loans through agencies such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. There are actually additional millions of dollars in appropriations added into the bill for Inspectors General. The $40 Billion Bill H.R. 7691 is a very short and tightly written bill, unlike most US Congressional bills. Since the funds generally go to pre-existing US governmental agencies-programs, there is probably additional oversight built in. Why is no one challenging Rand Paul on his deception? It seems clear that his objective was to block the bill, or he wouldn’t be deceiving in this manner. He appears to be claiming there’s no oversight at all, which is a patent lie.

Rand Paul tweeted out this very deceptive statement and no one has challenged him on it: “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.” May 12, 2022

To which truth does this tweet point? That Rand Paul really took his oath to Putin’s Russia or that he himself didn’t read it? Or both? “Rand Paul~ @RandPaul 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.” https://web.archive.org/web/20220513004355/https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1524913119520243712

We need someone to explain what serious danger we are all in, like FDR did in 1940: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2022/05/16/fdrs-national-security-fireside-chat-the-arsenal-of-democracy-29-december-1940-a-must-read-and-or-listen-today/
Instead we Rand Paul trying to block US National Security efforts.

Can Rand Paul read or did he bribe his way through a top med school? He probably can read and either chose not to read or is intentionally deceiving people – probably on behalf of Putin. He’s supposed to have staff, too.

Whether Rand and Ron Paul simply agree ideologically with Putin or Putin’s been funding them, Putin’s their man and they are Putin’s boys. Recall that their former campaign director – family member in-law, Jesse Benton, has been indicted for laundering a campaign donation from a Non-US citizen Russian (and keeping a huge profit).

Depending on the spacing, the bill is anywhere from a few pages long to around 30 pages line numbered and triple spaced. This isn’t thousands of pages of pork barrel spending like the alleged infrastructure and coronavirus bills. Even so, you can do a search within text for inspector general: https://www.congress.gov/117/crec/2022/05/10/168/78/CREC-2022-05-10-pt1-PgH4775.pdf

Anyone, who wants to save the country money, needs to pick through the trillions of pork barrel infrastructure and coronavirus spending, some of which could still be stopped, since it was over multiple years. It can be stopped if Republicans win the 2022 elections, which isn’t a given with so many having gone stupid and/or pro-Putin.

Rand Paul may be pretending to want a special inspector general for the entire bill, but his tweet implies that there is neither IG nor oversight, which is a lie!

As pointed out by Republican US Congresswoman Granger: “A large portion of the bill will also go to backfill DOD’s weapons and equipment. The United States has the best weapons in the world, and it is critical that we not only supply those to our allies in their time of need, as we have done in Ukraine, but that we ensure our own troops continue to have what they need…” https://republicans-appropriations.house.gov/news/statements/granger-remarks-hr-7691-additional-ukraine-supplemental-appropriations-act

Poor baby (not) Rand, who has been allowed to deceive everyone, still needs his pro-Russia pappy Ron Paul to take up for him and quote his tweet: https://web.archive.org/web/20220517102050/http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2022/may/16/why-did-rand-paul-delay-washington-s-40-billion-ukraine-giveaway/

This is about the Dept. of Defense (DoD) Inspector General: https://www.dodig.mil/About/

Rand Paul is blocking a bill that allows the US to replace military materials already given to Ukraine, beef up US and NATO defense in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, help Ukrainian refugees (who are largely in NATO members Poland and Romania), as well as help seize assets from Russia. The bill being blocked by Paul. Don’t just look at the title, look at the bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7691/text

Since both Rand Paul and his father appear to love Russia and Putin, we suspect that Rand Paul particularly objects to (from the summary):
“Title I – Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Department of Justice (DOJ): $67 million for DOJ General Administration to help cover the costs of seizing, retaining, and selling forfeited property (e.g., the yachts of Russian oligarchs) related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” and Title II- Defense, which includes “Replenishment of US stocks – $9.05 billion to replenish US stocks of equipment sent to Ukraine through drawdown authority.

European Command Operations – $3.9 billion for mission support, intelligence support, hardship pay for troops deployed to the region, and equipment including a Patriot battery. The bill also increases the cap on assistance that can be provided to friendly foreign nations from $450 million to $950 million.

Defense Production Act – $600 million to mitigate industrial base constraints for faster missile production and expanded domestic capacity of strategic and critical minerals.

Munitions and Exportability funds – $500 million to procure critical munitions to increase the stocks of the Department of Defense and $50 million to develop program protection strategies for systems identified for possible future export.

Oversight – Requires an Inspector General to report on activities to execute funds in the bill and the Department of Defense to report on measures taken to require enhanced end-use monitoring of equipment provided to Ukraine…” Excerpted from the US House Bill Summary: https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Additional%20Ukraine%20Suplemental%20Appropriations%20Act%20Summary.pdf
Will Title I keep Putin from paying them?

US House Bill as placed on the US Senate Calendar: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7691/text

RELEVANT EXCERPTS FROM THE BILL RELATING TO SOME OF THE OVERSIGHT MECHANISMS, INCLUDING INSPECTORS GENERAL AND US CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT:
“Placed on Calendar Senate (05/11/2022)
Calendar No. 368 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H.R. 7691
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
“… amounts provided under this heading in this Act may be used to investigate, seize, detain, forfeit, inventory, safeguard, maintain, advertise, sell, or dispose of any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, related to Russian aggression, including Russian aggression toward Ukraine, or for any other necessary expense incident to the seizure, detention, forfeiture, or disposal of such property…”

“TITLE II
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
MILITARY PERSONNEL
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE”
Operation And Maintenance, Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Defense-Wide

“That of the total amount provided under this heading in this Act, up to $9,050,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023, may be transferred to accounts under the headings “Operation and Maintenance” and “Procurement” for replacement of defense articles from the stocks of the Department of Defense, and for reimbursement for defense services of the Department of Defense and military education and training, provided to the Government of Ukraine or to foreign countries that have provided support to Ukraine at the request of the United States….

PROCUREMENT

RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION

GENERAL PROVISIONS—THIS TITLE
(including transfers of funds)

“That none of the funds provided under this section in this Act may be obligated or expended until 60 days after the Secretary of Defense provides to the congressional defense committees an execution plan:

Provided further, That not less than 30 days prior to any transfer of funds, the Secretary of Defense shall notify the congressional defense committees of the details of any such transfer: Provided further, That upon transfer, the funds shall be merged with and be available for the same purposes, and for the same time period, as the appropriation to which transferred: Provided further, That the transfer authority provided under this section is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law….

Sec. 204. The Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall carry out reviews of the activities of the Department of Defense to execute funds appropriated in this title, including assistance provided to Ukraine:
Provided, That the Inspector General shall provide to the congressional defense committees a written report not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 205. Not later than 45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations of the Senate on measures being taken to account for United States defense articles designated for Ukraine since the February 24, 2022, Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly measures with regard to such articles that require enhanced end-use monitoring; measures to ensure that such articles reach their intended recipients and are used for their intended purposes; and any other measures to promote accountability for the use of such articles.”

Sec. 206. Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 30 days thereafter through fiscal year 2023, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall provide a written report to the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations of the Senate describing United States security assistance provided to Ukraine since the February 24, 2022, Russian invasion of Ukraine, including a comprehensive list of the defense articles and services provided to Ukraine and the associated authority and funding used to provide such articles and services: Provided, That such report shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may be accompanied by a classified annex…”

“TITLE V
DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND RELATED AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Administration Of Foreign Affairs

“…office of inspector general

For an additional amount for “Office of Inspector General”, $4,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2024…

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

… office of inspector general

For an additional amount for “Office of Inspector General”, $1,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2024…

MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE
International Financial Institutions

contribution to the european bank for reconstruction and development

For payment by the Secretary of the Treasury to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and its trust funds and facilities, $500,000,000, to remain available until expended, for assistance and related programs for Ukraine and countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine: Provided, That such amount shall be subject to the same authorities and conditions as if such amount was made available by title V of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2022 (division K of Public Law 117–103).

global agriculture and food security program

For an additional payment to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program by the Secretary of the Treasury…

GENERAL PROVISIONS—THIS TITLE

…. Provided, That funds made available under the heading “Foreign Military Financing Program” in this title shall be available for loans under such section.

…. Sec. 506. Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall jointly submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations on the proposed uses of funds appropriated by this title, with the exception of funds appropriated under the heading “Multilateral Assistance”: Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit a separate report, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, for funds appropriated under the heading “Multilateral Assistance”: Provided further, That such reports shall be updated and submitted to the Committees on Appropriations every 60 days thereafter until September 30, 2024, and every 120 days thereafter until all funds have been expended.

Sec. 507. (a) Funds made available by this title under the heading “Economic Support Fund” may be made available for direct financial support for the Government of Ukraine, and such funds shall be matched, to the maximum extent practicable, by sources other than the United States Government.

(b) Funds made available to the Government of Ukraine as a cash transfer under subsection (a) shall be subject to a memorandum of understanding that describes how the funds proposed to be made available will be used and includes appropriate safeguards for transparency and accountability:

Provided, That such assistance shall be maintained in a separate, auditable account and may not be comingled with any other funds.

(c) At least 15 days prior to the initial obligation of funds made available for the purposes of subsection (a), the Secretary of State or the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, as appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing procedures and processes to ensure such funds are used by the Government of Ukraine in the manner agreed to by such Government, including details on the memorandum of understanding and appropriate safeguards for transparency and accountability required by subsection (b), if applicable:
Provided, That such report shall be updated every six months following the submission of the first report and shall be submitted until funds made available for such direct financial support are expended.
(d) The Secretary of State or the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, as appropriate, shall report to the appropriate congressional committees on the uses of any funds provided for direct financial support to the Government of Ukraine pursuant to subsection (a) and the results achieved, not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act and every 90 days thereafter until September 30, 2025: Provided, That such report shall also include the metrics established to measure such results.
(e) Funds made available for the purposes of subsection (a) by this title shall be subject to the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.

TITLE VI
This Act may be cited as the “Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022”.
Passed the House of Representatives May 10, 2022.
Attest:
Clerk.  

Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7691/text

The bill is also here:

$40 Billion Bill Blocked by Sen. Rand Paul is Largely for US Defense Needed Due to Russian Aggression; Includes IG Oversight; Includes Admin Costs to Seize & Sell Russian Forfeited Property