[oldenuff35]

Yes it is within the power of the presidency to withhold foreign aid funds. If you listened to to Bidens tape when he blackmailed Ukraine that should be apparent.

He bluntly stated that he had talked to the president, Obama, about it and had the authority to do so.

[lonestar67]

Of course.

The obvious example is that Biden withheld aid to Ukraine in order to cause Ukraine to fire a prosecutor.

You can watch a video of him bragging about this to the Council on Foreign Relations :

https://thefederalist.com/2019/09/24/watch-joe-biden-brag-about-bribing-ukraine-to-fire-the-prosecutor-investigating-his-sons-company/

Moreover, ALL foreign aid is conditional. For example, you cannot use US aid for some other purpose or perhaps to murder civilians. If nations cannot or will not abide by our expectations, aid is revoked, withheld, reduced etc. That is absolutely normal and in fact required by law.

Because the President is the Executive branch, these enforcements of the laws passed by Congress fall to him.

Elizabeth Warren recently explained that she would condition aid to Israel on forbidding the building of settlement ts in the West Bank.

That is a stupid bad idea but is precisely the kind of thing Presidents can and regularly do.

Democrats and media brag about Biden and Warren doing exactly this while pretending that Trump must be removed from office and then jailed for even considering this possibility.

It is catastrophically reactionary and easily demonstrably false to assert this against President Trump.

[FreedomCalls]

Yes, Obama withheld previously approved aid to Uganda because of lack of support for gay rights.

[Taipei]

https://www.lawfareblog.com/role-omb-withholding-ukrainian-aid This article will help. Relevant: "Once Congress designates money for a program, the executive is typically bound to spend those funds on that program. If the president wants to significantly alter a program’s budget, he is required to obtain congressional approval. ... OMB [White House Office of Management and Budget, ie: The President] is prohibited from using its “apportionment power” to determine or set an executive agency’s policy. OMB can only use its authority to ensure a congressional law is appropriately executed, and the money allocated for that law typically lasts through the fiscal year unless the money is made available for obligation over a longer period. In particular, 31 U.S.C § 1512(c)(1) states that OMB can use its apportionment or reapportionment power only: (A) to provide for contingencies; (B) to achieve savings made possible by or through changes in requirements or greater efficiency of operations; or (C) as specifically provided by law. ... OMB might have had the ability to withhold this aid if the White House had provided Congress with a message meeting the ICA’s requirements. But no message appears to have been sent. Furthermore, the aid from both Defense and State was held long past the mandated 45-day period and in apparent contravention of his powers defined by 31 U.S.C § 1512. The president and OMB did ultimately release the $250 million in aid from the Defense Department (on Sept. 11) and the $141 million from the State Department (around the same date). Whether there is some good legal or other explanation for the long delay in releasing the money is a question that lacks a clear answer, and that might remain unanswered indefinitely if Congress cannot get its hands on the requested documents." The ultimate answer is there are - due to the foresight of the founders - checks on the power of the Executive, and it may well be the case that the President did not follow the law properly in withholding this aid in the way it was done.

[FreedomCalls]

U.S. cuts aid to Uganda, cancels military exercise over anti-gay law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday cut aid to Uganda, imposed visa restrictions and canceled a regional military exercise in response to a Ugandan law that imposes harsh penalties on homosexuality.

[datura]

You have liberal friends???

[datura]

You have liberal friends???

[SERKIT]

Watch Ratcliffe’s questioning. He brought up two or three other countries where aide was delayed. Not that unusual.

[Ainast]

Good information guys. I think the biggest problem is that reality doesnt matter to liberals.

[sockmonkey]

I wish we would cut off all Foreign aid to Ukraine.

[alpo]

Obama talked Ukraine into disarming, saying the US would protect them from Russia. After their missles were gone, Russians invaded and took the Crimera ‘Bama refused to send any military aid to Ukraine for 7+ years.
He was deep in bed with Putin.

[Pajamajan]

Doesn't matter.

The only thing that matters is what a person's political party is.

Democrat: No laws apply. They can do whatever they want. No consequences.

Republican: All laws apply. And person is guilty even if they didn't break any law.

Laws can also be made up, and people can lie, if it helps democrats in any way- i.e. cover up for their own corruption.

Republicans are always guilty, even when they aren't.

[Hulka]

Pakistan making nukes and we found out. President directed we do not deliver Pakistan the F-16’s they bought and we keep their money. Deliveries not done, even though Pakistan paid upfront .

Also, in the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (the contract to buy US military gear), there is a clause that says president.

The president must stop deliveries if the country acts up or behaves in a way that harms US interest or is a risk to US interests.

Prior to any sale (security assistance) the president must make a declaration to congress that says the sale is in US national interests. If the country acts up or act contrary to US interests or negatively upsets the balance in the region, the declaration the president make to congress is no longer valid and the president must stop deliveries.

So, if a country becomes way corrupt, president has a duty to suspend deliveries because that country is not acting in accordance with US standards and the president MUST stop deliveries.

Corruption is most certainly a part of the deal—so if the country gets too corrupt and upsets the balance of power in the region, the president can suspend deliveries. Suspension happens with input from DoD, state and other departments. There is usually an internal argument about suspending deliveries. That’s what we saw last week-a sampling of the internal debate that takes place, nothing more, just massive egos thinking THEY are right and everyone else is wrong.

This whole thing about the president withholding delivery to Ukraine is a nothing-burger: he has the obligation to withhold, or even begin to make the sale, because if the president no longer thinks it is in the US Interest, he must stop deliveries until he is satisfied that it again is in the national interest to make the sale or stop it. President has that right and power.

Think Iran, they paid upfront for F-14 jets but then had a revolution and abused US personnel and Iran upset the balance of power in the region and made it unstable. The president stopped deliveries.

What we saw last week was a usual internal argument about should the US keep deliveries going or stop. The president suspends to check on status of Ukraine—are they no longer suitable for deliveries or not, and internal to the president and all those other department takes place and massive egos clash if they are not being listened to or if deliveries should fully stop, partially stop, or keep going.

Presidents call.

Pardon any errors, on iPhone and its night and etc.

[Bommer]

Yep, Obama did it to Egypt https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-cutting-military-aid-hundreds-of-millions-in-cash-assistance-to-egypt

[ETCM]

Previous Presidents have done it without much push back, including Obama, who froze aid to Egypt and Uganda, not to mention the threat to withhold aid to Ukraine.

Ignore references to sites such as Lawfare.org and justsecurity.org, as they are far left and will frame any issue from a leftist/globalist/anti-Trump viewpoint.

[blackdog]

The #1 question about Ukraine Aid is, "When do you get yours?" Is the most common question among State Officials and intelligence officials in Washington D.C..

Consider the hundreds of nations we are doing this dance with? There aren't enough jails in the D.C area to hold these thieves or enough honest will to arrest them for it.

[MNJohnnie]

Show them this video

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/09/27/flashback_2018_joe_biden_brags_at_cfr_meeting_about_withholding_aid_to_ukraine_to_force_firing_of_prosecutor.html

[poinq]

This is done all the time. The President is in charge of the State Department, all conversations and treaties with foreign countries, and of course the Treasury. Only in the case that laws specifically limit the presidents powers, can he be sanctioned. And his powers cannot be limited in contradiction to the constitution.

This impeachment does not have any there, there. Even if Trump did everything he is accused of, he has committed no crime. And in fact, he would have only done what other presidents and state department officials always do. (See Joe Biden’s video). Many republicans are mad because the president denied doing something he is allowed to do, happens all the time, and even promised to do on the campaign trail.

Just because Joe Biden is running for president does not mean he and his son Hunter are above the law. Here are the know facts about Hunter...

Hunter’s ex-wife sued for divorce stating as a reason, that he spent their money on strip clubs and cocaine.

The Navy threw Hunter out when he tested positive for cocaine.

Hunter moved in with his brothers widow shortly after his brother died.

A women Hunter was sleeping with while he was sleeping with his brothers widow claimed that he was the father of her unborn child. A DNA paternity test proved her correct.

Hunter and John Kerry’s step son, were given Billions to invest in American companies that China was not allowed to invest in. Hunter had no investment experience or education. Hunter had no experience with China, nor did he speak the language. John Kerry was secretary of state at the time.

Hunter and John Kerry’s ex-campaign aide became board members for a Ukraine gas company. John Kerry was secretary of state at the time. Hunter did not speak Ukrainian. Hunter had no Utility or gas experience. Hunter had no Ukraine experience. Hunter admitted on TV that he got the job because his name was Biden. Hunter was paid far more than normal board members would receive.

This impeachment is not bad for Trump. He was doing his job.

[daniel1212]

Indeed, but what you want to ask is if he did so expressly for political gain which is the charge against the President. As shown, Obama withheld aid due to a country not supporting his perverse ideology He also cut assistance to some other countries

However, that is not seen as doing so expressly for political gain

But Biden with Obama support ("call him") withholding aid to Ukraine in order to cause Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who just happened to be investigating his son certainly should qualify as a conflict of interest.

[dforest]

Another reason this foolish impeachment joke is a flop is that many people really do not care about Ukraine. They also do not want to give them our money.

Politicians are all pissy because they were waiting for the kickbacks coming from Ukraine of US taxpayer dollars into their precious bank accounts and foundations.