Comer, Vance & Oversight Republicans Probe U.S. Taxpayer-Funded Military Assistance to Ukraine
IG has found nearly 60% of enhanced defense articles remain unaccounted for
WASHINGTON— House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), and Oversight Committee Republicans are continuing to investigate the Biden Administration’s delivery of U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine. Following an Inspector General report revealing the Department of Defense (DoD) has failed to track military weapons and articles going to Ukraine, the lawmakers are calling on DoD Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide documents and information to understand how the Department intends to mitigate the vulnerabilities of military assistance to Ukraine.
“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is continuing to investigate the Biden Administration’s provision of U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine,” wrote the lawmakers. “The Committee remains concerned about the Department of Defense’s (DoD) ability to conduct end-use monitoring of weapons, equipment, and other defense articles going to Ukraine. It is vital that DoD works to ensure weapons and other forms of security assistance are used for their intended purposes, that they do not fall into the hands of our enemies, and that the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse is mitigated. The Committee is seeking further documents and information to understand how DoD intends to ensure adequate oversight of defense articles for Ukraine in light of a recent Inspector General report casting doubt on DoD’s prior assurances to the Committee.”
Since January 2014, the U.S. has dedicated more than $47 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, $44.2 billion of which has been provided since Russia further invaded Ukraine in February 2022. On January 10, 2024, the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General released a report titled: “Evaluation of DoD’s Enhanced End-Use Monitoring of Defense Articles Provided to Ukraine,” finding the DoD did not fully comply with defense article accountability program requirements. Nearly 60 percent of enhanced defense articles remain unaccounted for as of June 2023.
“Despite multiple assurances from DoD that every mechanism is in place to prevent waste, fraud and abuse of U.S. taxpayer funds going to Ukraine, the DoD Inspector General (DoD IG) has alerted Congress of failures by DoD to track enhanced weapons and other defense articles going to Ukraine. DoD IG’s findings in this report contradict the commitments DoD made to the Committee guaranteeing that effective mechanisms are in place to track American weapons and equipment going to Ukraine,” continued the lawmakers. “DoD’s failures in tracking sensitive military equipment provided to Ukraine are unacceptable.”
Read the full letter to Secretary Austin here.
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