A bipartisan bill was introduced in the Senate last week that would expedite the replenishment of US military weapons stockpiles that have been sent to Ukraine.
The legislation, known as the Securing American ARMS Act, was introduced by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and 13 other senators.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the US has committed more than $14.5 billion in new military aid for Kyiv. The vast majority of that amount was provided by shipping weapons and ammunition to Ukraine directly from US military stockpiles, under a program known as the presidential drawdown authority.
The bill would allow the Pentagon to award non-competitive contracts to US arms makers to backfill US arms that have been sent to Ukraine. The authority could only be used for weapons similar to the ones that have been given to Ukraine, and Congress would need to be notified of the non-competitive contracts when they are handed out.
As the US is running out of funds from the $40 billion Ukraine aid bill that President Biden signed into law in May, the White House has asked Congress to authorize $13.7 billion more in spending in the war.
The $13.7 billion includes $4.5 billion to replenish American stockpiles. It also includes $3.7 billion more in presidential drawdown authority, meaning more weapons will need to be replenished.
Sen. Shaheen told Defense News that she hopes the legislation will be added to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as an amendment, but she’s not sure if that will happen. The House has passed its version of the NDAA, which is worth $850.3 billion, more than $37 billion than President Biden requested.
The Senate has yet to pass its version of the NDAA, but it is expected to be even higher than the House’s.
Once again so thrilled to read about another US Senator, a woman, who is “committed to common sense and the middle class” also so enthralled with endless war and wasting billions of dollars. This ain’t what I thought feminism was for in the dark ages pre-2000.
Exactly, Agnieszka.
I stupidity assumed that more women in government would result in a “kinder, gentler” nation since, imo, those are the most important traits that a woman can embody.
Instead, we get the likes of psychos Meir, Thatcher, Clinton, Albright and now Truss. Now we have women advocating for more weapons, rather than negotiations.
Mother Nature made women life givers. These women go against the laws of nature. Bunch of sociopaths.
You have a lovely name, btw.
Coincidentally The Saker site just published this commentary.
Women in Cabinets and Boardrooms
https://thesaker.is/women-in-cabinets-and-boardrooms/
Thanks for the link Richard.
Servants of the arms industry… They should all lose their citizenship and get a one way ticket to Ukraine.