Rand Paul’s ‘I told you so’ legislation
“Predictably, we now find ourselves in a situation where the Pentagon’s miscalculation of aid calls into question the reliability of its accounting,” Paul told NatSec Daily in a statement. | Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo
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Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) says he will reintroduce his legislation calling for a dedicated Ukraine aid inspector general after the Pentagon disclosed that it miscalculated Ukraine aid by $3 billion.
The Pentagon revealed last week that it overestimated the value of arms sent to Kyiv from existing stocks, which potentially allows the department to add $3 billion worth to the $2.7 billion left in the weapons account. Department officials were valuing the items using their “replacement cost” rather than their “net book value,” which was lower, Defense Department officials say.
Paul’s legislation would fold Ukraine oversight into the duties of the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction. The office, now held by JOHN SOPKO, would be empowered to conduct audits, investigations and oversight for programs run by the Pentagon, State Department and USAID. It would also submit quarterly reports to Congress.
This isn’t a new idea for the eye doctor. A year ago, he proposed legislation to establish a federal watchdog that oversaw how dollars are spent on the Ukraine war effort. Paul delayed a $40 billion Ukraine spending package before he got a vote on the measure, which failed.
Now the senator, the top Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is essentially saying “I told you so.”
“Predictably, we now find ourselves in a situation where the Pentagon’s miscalculation of aid calls into question the reliability of its accounting,” Paul told NatSec Daily in a statement. “I will soon reintroduce my proposal for an independent inspector general for Ukraine aid to provide taxpayers with an accurate accounting of how their money is spent, as well as to detect and prevent waste, fraud and abuse.”
Paul isn’t the only one with this idea. Sens. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) and JOHN KENNEDY (R-La.), as well as Rep. CHIP ROY (R-Texas), backed similar Ukraine IG proposals this year — indicating there is some bicameral support for the idea. Their proposals would create an IG rather than involving the Afghanistan office.
When Hawley’s proposal came to a vote, it failed 26-68, splitting Senate Republicans — and Democrats. Sens. JON TESTER (D-Mont.), JON OSSOFF (D-Ga.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-Ariz.) voted for Hawley’s amendment. Hawley is also expected to bring back his legislation. “This is precisely why an IG for Ukraine is needed,” a Hawley spokesperson told NatSec Daily of DoD’s accounting error. “Senator Hawley is committed to getting his proposal passed.”
The question now is if either the new Paul or Hawley bills can gain some traction, especially as leading Republican 2024 candidates show some skepticism about an increase in material support for Ukraine.
The White House has said it agrees oversight is critical and, at the time of Hawley’s proposal, pointed to Ukraine aid oversight already underway by existing inspectors general for the Pentagon, State and USAID.
“We agree that oversight is critical and welcome the funding that Congress has previously provided for existing inspectors general as part of the Ukraine supplemental appropriations acts. That funding has helped ensure increased oversight of the security, economic and humanitarian assistance, which has earned bipartisan support and been critical to Ukraine’s fight for freedom in the face of a brutal and barbaric invasion by Putin,” said NSC spokesperson ADAM HODGE.