Posted on 10/27/2023 10:43:52 AM PDT by ChicagoConservative27
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) is criticizing newly-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for comments that suggest Johnson could support additional U.S. support for Ukraine.
“To his great credit, the new Speaker has been a stalwart on the Ukraine issue — voting consistently against an endless conflict with no plan from the Biden administration,” Vance said on X, formerly Twitter. “It’s concerning to see him change his tune so quickly after being elevated to this role.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Funny since Tom Cotton said the same thing basically and JD said not a word
Hey Senator clowns, stay in your lane
Speaker Johnson’s personal voting record does not show he voted aid to Ukraine.
He is in a difficult position now——has to give “political answers” to avoid a firestorm.
We shall see.
The art of politics involves saying a whole lot of things. And, ultimately, what you say about those things doesn’t matter a lot. What matters is what you do. I’ll wait and see what the Speaker does.
SHUTUP,JD
The Ukraine money laundering op will tell us everything. The GOP knows damn well we fed up with it
No more money for Corrupt Ukraine.
Let Europe give their Weapons and Treasure.
Why is it some self-professed “Conservatives” cannot separate a woeful way our military support is being employed in a good cause from the cause itself.
Yes, if stronger messages had been given to Putin by the sitting U.S. President, Putin may have - MAY HAVE - avoided invading Ukraine. HOWEVER, that Biden did not show that strength to start with is (a) not a justification for Putin’s invasion, and (b) not a justification for letting Putin conquer Ukraine.
As far our spending too much money? Fine, you can cut out 100% of Biden’s trillions in his “infrastructure” and “green” legislation, which would do far more for the U.S. in the long run than cutting aid for Ukraine, because written between every line of those two bills is langauge that, regardless of the money, requires a permanent change in regulations that control Federal spending, that adds DEI (Diversity,l Equity and Inclusion) officers and watchdogs (political commissars) over every dollar being spent. Those changes won’t go away by merely taking funds away. Only repealing the bills will get rid of the permanent DEI requirements.
In May 2022, Speaker Mike Johnson said, “We should not be sending tax
dollars abroad without sufficient oversight over where the money will go,
<><>when our own border is in chaos,
<><>American mothers are struggling to find baby formula,
<><>gas prices are at record highs,
<><>and American families are struggling to make ends meet.”
Not content w/ the mega billions already in his pocket, Zelensky now says
he wants US tax dollars to Ukraine according to the Israeli model......here’s what he means:
Congressional Research Service
US Foreign aid to Israel
60 page detailed report
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33222/44
The concerned Israeli lobby made sure Congress is required by law to ensure that U.S. military aid in the Middle East region doesn’t damage Israel’s military superiority over its neighbors. That requirement enjoys broad bipartisan support and has served as a benchmark for ensuring Israel receives robust U.S. support.
Biden keeps gaslighting Americans about the “need” for
American foreign aid tax dollars to Ukraine and Israel.
Here’s why they DONT need it:
About $113.1 billion in tax dollars were authorized in 2022 for Ukraine, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Most of it–about $67.1 billion–was defense-related. The other $46 billion included:
<><>$26.9 billion for economic support;
<><>$7.9 billion for international disaster assistance;
<><>$6.6 billion in assistance for refugees;
<><>$1.5 billion for assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia;
<><>plus $3.1 billion for other non-defense spending.
US tax dollars helped Ukraine
<><>pay the salaries of 618,000 educators, 517,000 health workers, and 56,500 first responders
<><>helped sustain critical healthcare services,
<><>helped meet pension responsibilities for 9.8 million people,
<><>assisted 1.3 million internally displaced persons,
<><>provided housing assistance to 4.1 million people,
<><>provided social assistance to 240,000 low-income families
<><>helped subsidize 480,000 persons with disabilities,
<><>bought supplies for farmers,
<><>financed finding markets for small business.
Backstory: Since 1973, Israel has received more than $120 billion US tax
dollars in MILITARY assistance alone, including “three special aid” packages.
<><>billions for signing the Israel-Egypt peace treaty
<><>billions for Israel’s withdrawal from the Sinai.
<><>billions for redeployment of Israeli forces
<><>rebuilding Israeli air bases in the Negev cost $5 billion.
Ukraine is nothing but an open ended money pit. The fact that the Biden crime family was deeply involved in the country’s lucrative corruption speaks volumes about it.
Whatever Biden wants to do ought to be reason enough not to do it. He never wants anything that is good for the country.
“The Ukraine money laundering op will tell us everything. The GOP knows damn well we fed up with it “
Exactly why they have to obfuscate and disguise what they are doing.
This Johnson votes against Ukraine money when he knows it will pass. His donors know what he is doing and they give him a permission slip.
Then he gets up to a level where he can’t do that any more. He reverses course.
And all the goobers who were fooled by this act are surprised.
Just like they were surprised that Sessions, Horowitz, Barr, Durham... didn’t turn out to be the “heros” that they hoped for.
I suspect anyone holding real power who goes against Ukraine funding is going to have the Deep State all over his/her ass.
Yep every f’n time. As always what we want manes nothing.
I voted against Vance in the primary. This tells me I was right.
No you were wrong. Vance has proven to be one of the few bright spots in the Senate.
I am harboring suspicions about our new putative MAGA Speaker.
Found rather troubling how he seemed so eager to work across the aisle with the DemonRats and basically labelled them as good public servants.
Then, he sat down with the likes of Hannity for his first Speaker interview.
However, above all else, I am greatly disturbed at how Johnson wants to keep the spigot open to fund the corrupt Ukrainian forces and inflame hostilities in the Middle East.
I hope my misgivings about Speaker Johnson are soon allayed.
whitehouse.gov
MARCH 16, 2022
Briefing Room
Fact Sheet of MARCH 16, 2022-——U.S. Security Assistance for Ukraine
President Biden today, MARCH 16, 2022, announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine to $1 billion in just the past week, and a total of $2 billion since the start of the Biden Administration.
The assistance will take the form of direct transfers of equipment from the Department of Defense to the Ukrainian military to help them defend their country against Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion.
The MARCH 16, 2022 new $800 million assistance package includes:
800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems;
2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons,
6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems;
100 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems;
100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, and 400 shotguns;
Over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds;
25,000 sets of body armor; and
25,000 helmets.
In addition to the MARCH 16, 2022 weapons listed above, previous US assistance committed to Ukraine includes:
Over 600 Stinger anti-aircraft systems;
Approximately 2,600 Javelin anti-armor systems;
Five Mi-17 helicopters;
Three patrol boats;
Four counter-artillery and counter-unmanned aerial system tracking radars;
Four counter-mortar radar systems;
200 grenade launchers and ammunition;
200 shotguns and 200 machine guns;
Nearly 40 million rounds of small arms ammunition
Over 1 million grenade, mortar, and artillery rounds;
70 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) and other vehicles;
Secure communications, electronic warfare detection systems,
Body armor, helmets, and other tactical gear;
Military medical equipment to support treatment and combat evacuation;
Explosive ordnance disposal and de-mining equipment; and
Satellite imagery and analysis capability.
In addition to the U.S.-produced short-range air defense systems the Ukrainians have been using to great effect, the United States has also identified and is helping the Ukrainians acquire additional, longer-range systems on which Ukraine’s forces are already trained, as well as additional munitions for those systems.
The United States continues to expedite the authorization and facilitation of additional assistance to Ukraine from our Allies. At least 30 countries have provided security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.
In 2022, the Department of State authorized third-party transfers of defensive equipment from more than 14 countries, a number that continues to grow as Allies and Partners increase support to Ukraine.
###
defense.gov
Immediate Release
Oct 26, 2023
Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine
Today, Oct 26, 2023, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs.
This announcement is the Biden Administration’s forty-ninth tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
This Oct 26, 2023 package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment to help Ukraine counter Russia’s ongoing war of aggression and fight for its independence and freedom.
This package utilizes assistance previously authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) that remained after the PDA revaluation process concluded in June. This security assistance package is another visible signal of the United States’ continued commitment to supporting the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression.
The United States remains committed to working with Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs, and the Biden Administration calls on Congress to meet its commitment to the people of Ukraine by passing additional funding to ensure Ukraine continues to have what it needs to defend itself against Russia’s brutal war of choice.
Security assistance for Ukraine is a smart investment in our national security. It helps to prevent a larger conflict in the region and deter potential aggression elsewhere, while strengthening our defense industrial base and creating highly skilled jobs for the American people.
The capabilities in this package, valued at up to $150 million, include:
• Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
• AIM-9M missiles for air defense;
• Stinger anti-aircraft missiles;
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin anti-armor systems;
• More than 2 million rounds of small arms ammunition;
• Night vision devices;
• Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing;
• Cold weather gear; and
• Spare parts, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment.
voanews.com-——snip
Biden’s $150 million military package announced Wednesday, Ocr 2023, marks the 49th time that the U.S. has used the presidential drawdown authority to provide Ukraine’s military with equipment from US stockpiles.
The U.S. has provided about $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked invasion in February 2022.
The Pentagon still has about $5 billion of congressionally approved funding for Ukrainian military aid, after the Pentagon discovered in June that it had overestimated the value of weapons shipped to Ukraine by about $6 billion.
When calculating its aid package estimates, the Defense Department was counting the cost incurred to replace the weapons given to Ukraine, while it should have been totaling the cost of the systems actually sent, officials told VOA at the time the error was found.
The Pentagon continues to dip into its aid arsenal despite Congress excluding new aid for Ukraine in a stopgap spending bill passed last month to prevent a government shutdown. Soon after the stopgap spending bill passed, the House ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position as speaker.
snip
Vance is one of the good guys and is correct that there is concern. We’ll have to wait for details but Johnson cited in his first interview as Speaker as leading the list of concerns that he presented to the White House in his first meeting there none other than Dan Crenshaw (eyepatch McCain). a major screwup as that makes him look like another globalist RINO..
if he takes anything to the floor without majority support from republicans, then he would have thrown down a gauntlet just like McCarthy. He deserves a chance but “vacate the chair” needs to stay on the table as an option.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/10/27/conservatives-express-concern-newly-elected-speaker-johnsons-ukraine-position-day-after-mcconnell-meeting/
The biggest problem Repub elites have is to “manage” their voters.
Their base vote and their donors agenda is opposite on all the major military and economic issues:
trade, open borders, NeoCon wars, hedge fund economics, Corporate Climate cash-ins...
They can talk to their donors in private. They have to communicate to their base in public.
So that sets up for deceptive public stances, with lots of smoke, misdirection and obfuscation.
The Dems have less problems, because the gap between donors and voters is not as large.
Confusing and opaque “Continuing Resolutions” and 5000 page spending bills actually help the Repubs more. Because they have greater need to disguise what they are doing.
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