[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 158 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4823-H4826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 UKRAINE SECURITY ASSISTANCE AND OVERSIGHT SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2024

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 730, I call up 
the bill (H.R. 5692) making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes, and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 730, the bill 
is considered read.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5692

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,
        That the following sums are appropriated, out of any money 
     in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes, 
     namely:

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                       OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

                Operations and Maintenance, Defense-Wide

                     (including transfer of funds)

       For an additional amount for ``Operations and Maintenance, 
     Defense-Wide'', for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, 
     $300,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2025, 
     which shall be for the Ukraine Security Assistance 
     Initiative:  Provided, That such funds shall be available to 
     the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the 
     Secretary of State, to provide assistance, including 
     training; equipment; lethal assistance; logistics support, 
     supplies and services; salaries and stipends; sustainment; 
     and intelligence support to the military and national 
     security forces of Ukraine, and to other forces or groups 
     recognized by and under the authority of the Government of 
     Ukraine, including governmental entities within Ukraine, 
     engaged in resisting Russian aggression against Ukraine, for 
     replacement of any weapons or articles provided to the 
     Government of Ukraine from the inventory of the United 
     States, and to recover or dispose of equipment procured using 
     funds made available in this section in this or prior Acts:  
     Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense shall, not 
     less than 15 days prior to obligating funds made available in 
     this section, notify the congressional defense committees in 
     writing of the details of any such obligation:  Provided 
     further, That the Secretary of Defense shall, not more than 
     60 days after such notification is made, inform such 
     committees if such funds have not been obligated and the 
     reasons therefor:  Provided further, That the Secretary of 
     Defense shall consult with such committees in advance of the 
     provision of support provided to other forces or groups 
     recognized by and under the authority of the Government of 
     Ukraine:  Provided further, That the United States may accept 
     equipment procured using funds made available in this section 
     in this or prior Acts transferred to the security forces of 
     Ukraine and returned by such forces to the United States:  
     Provided further, That equipment procured using funds made 
     available in this section in this or prior Acts, and not yet 
     transferred to the military or national security forces of 
     Ukraine or to other assisted entities, or returned by such 
     forces or other assisted entities to the United States, may 
     be treated as stocks of the Department of Defense upon 
     written notification to the congressional defense committees: 
      Provided further, That any notification of funds made 
     available in this section in this or prior Acts shall specify 
     whether such funds support ongoing or new programs, the 
     duration and expected cost over the life of each program, a 
     timeline for the delivery of defense articles and defense 
     services, and any equipment that requires enhanced end-use 
     monitoring:  Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense 
     shall provide quarterly reports to the congressional defense 
     committees on the use and status of funds made available in 
     this section:  Provided further, That of the amounts provided 
     under this heading, $20,000,000 shall be transferred to the 
     Office of Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance, 
     as established in section 103 of this Act.

                      GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS ACT

       Sec. 101.  Each amount appropriated or made available by 
     this Act is in addition to amounts otherwise appropriated for 
     the fiscal year involved.
       Sec. 102.  Unless otherwise provided for by this Act, the 
     additional amounts appropriated by this Act to appropriations 
     accounts shall be available under the authorities and 
     conditions applicable to such appropriations accounts for 
     fiscal year 2024.
       Sec. 103.  There is established the Office of the Special 
     Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance for the following:
       (1) To provide for the independent and objective conduct 
     and supervision of audits and investigations, including 
     within the territory of Ukraine, relating to the programs and 
     operations funded with amounts appropriated or otherwise made 
     available for the military and nonmilitary support of 
     Ukraine.
       (2) To provide for the independent and objective leadership 
     and coordination of, and recommendations on, policies 
     designed to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse in 
     such programs and operations described in paragraph (1).
       (3) To provide for an independent and objective means of 
     keeping the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and 
     Congress fully and currently informed about problems and 
     deficiencies relating to the administration of such programs 
     and operations and the necessity for and progress on 
     corrective action.
        This Act may be cited as the ``Ukraine Security Assistance 
     and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 30 minutes, 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees.
  The gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) and the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota (Ms. McCollum) each will control 15 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.

[[Page H4824]]

  

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5692, which provides security 
assistance to Ukraine and funds a special inspector general to oversee 
these and other funds provided by the American taxpayers.
  In 2016, the Ukraine Security Initiative, referred to as USAI, was 
created in response to increased Russian aggression. These funds, along 
with the National Guard State Partnership Program with California and 
other efforts, have transformed the Ukrainian military from a remnant 
of the Soviet empire to a capable and increasingly Western fighting 
force.
  This funding is not sent directly to Ukraine. Since 2016, these funds 
have been used to pay for the training U.S. troops provide Ukrainian 
troops and for U.S.-manufactured weapons we provide to Ukraine.
  Yesterday, I supported an amendment preventing the deployment of U.S. 
troops to Ukraine. This program allows us to train Ukrainian troops so 
they can defend their own country.
  Because of this initiative, the Ukrainian people have degraded the 
world's third-largest standing army and mobilized a continent against 
an evil actor.
  I was recently in Germany meeting with Ukrainian forces who were 
headed to the front lines. I met grandfathers who had left their 
families in order to learn to operate tanks, young adults who had 
signed up as interpreters, and American troops who are eagerly training 
the Ukrainian forces.
  They were all clear-eyed about their commitment to this fight. 
General Williams, the commander of the U.S. Army forces in Europe and 
Africa, said something that stuck with me: While America is giving its 
precious equipment and support, Ukrainians are giving their blood.
  This whole-of-nation effort to repel our common adversary deserves 
our support.
  I agree with my colleagues that the Biden administration needs to 
define our military objectives in Ukraine. We are and will continue to 
ask those difficult questions. I believe it is our duty to our 
constituents.
  I also agree that we need enhanced oversight. The funding in this 
bill will be subject to all the new oversight provisions that are in 
the fiscal year 2024 Defense appropriations bill. The bill also 
includes $20 million to fund a new special inspector general to improve 
end-use monitoring and oversight of taxpayer funds provided to assist 
Ukraine.
  Mr. Speaker, voting for this bill sends a strong message to Putin, 
Xi, and our partners in Ukraine. I strongly urge support of this bill, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The Speaker and this House have catered to the extreme right again 
because they refuse to write a Defense bill that can get bipartisan 
support. So, here we are again, debating Ukraine security assistance.
  As I said during the rules debate, we debated this funding twice 
yesterday. The Biggs amendment was rejected by the House by a vote of 
104-330, and the Gaetz amendment was rejected by this House 93-339.
  We debated this. This House considered similar amendments in the 
National Defense Authorization Act earlier this summer. At that time, 
the Greene amendment was rejected by a vote of 89-341, and the Gaetz 
amendment was rejected by 70-385.

                              {time}  1830

  These amendments were rejected because a majority of this House 
stands for preserving democracy. We stand for working with our 
democratic allies in preventing Vladimir Putin from seizing land 
through force, and these amendments were rejected because of the 
strong, bipartisan support for including consistent funding for Ukraine 
in the base Defense bill.
  The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative has been part of the base 
bill since fiscal year 2015. The support has included training for 
Ukrainian troops, munitions, spare parts for vehicles, weapon systems, 
and medical supplies, and the Department of Defense has mechanisms in 
place to monitor our assistance.
  That is the work of the DOD Security Assistance Group-Ukraine. I also 
have traveled, and I traveled with subcommittee Republicans and 
Democrats to review how the training and equipping the Ukrainians were 
moving forward because, I agree, congressional oversight is important.
  The funding has been critical to ensure that Ukrainians could 
withstand Vladimir Putin's invasion last year. Congress began this 
support after Russia's unprovoked, illegal seizure of the Crimean 
Peninsula in 2014. Five different chairs of the Defense Appropriations 
Subcommittee across both parties have consistently included this 
funding in the base Defense appropriation bill, and that includes 
Chairman Calvert, myself last Congress, and Chairwoman Granger when she 
chaired the subcommittee.
  We included this funding because Vladimir Putin is a bully. He 
threatens just not Ukraine but global stability. Putin uses 
paramilitary groups like the brutal Wagner organization to destabilize 
African nations using murder, rape, and torture to achieve his foreign 
policy goals.
  In February 2022, Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine and overthrow 
this democratically elected government. Russia deliberately fired 
cruise missiles into apartment buildings, shopping malls, schools, 
daycare centers, and even hospitals.
  It is clear: Putin is a war criminal, and he must be confronted. That 
is why this Congress has consistently included funding as a priority in 
this base bill--to help Ukraine fight back against this illegal, unjust 
invasion of their territory. It is important that we, along with our 
allies, continue to support their fight for freedom.
  The rest of the world is watching, including other authoritarian 
nations, as to how the United States, NATO, and other allies continue 
to support Ukraine.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me and others bipartisanly 
to support this bill one more time again and vote for supporting 
Ukraine.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Kean).
  Mr. KEAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 5692, the 
Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations 
Act.
  Everyone in this Chamber wants peace in Ukraine as quickly as humanly 
possible, but there can only be a truly durable peace after Ukraine's 
victory and after the defeat of Russia's invading forces. Victory in 
Ukraine will also allow America's enemies to know that the price they 
will pay for future unprovoked aggression is way too high. It will 
deter Putin from setting his sights on a NATO ally next, and it will 
signal to Xi that the free world is willing and able to show resolve in 
the case of Taiwan.
  With what amounts to just 5 percent of last year's defense budget, 
U.S. security assistance to Ukraine since the full scale invasion began 
has helped Ukraine seriously degrade Russia's military without putting 
one U.S. troop in harm's way. This is why continued support to Ukraine 
is in the U.S. best interest.
  Unfortunately, President Biden has slow-rolled the provision of 
critical weapon systems to Ukraine, from HIMARS to F-16s to tanks to 
longer-range ATACMS. It is not wise statesmanship; it is weakness. This 
failed policy is prolonging the war.
  Mr. Speaker, we must demand President Biden send weapons to Ukraine 
at the speed of relevance. We must fully utilize the available security 
assistance authorities to support Ukraine's victory; not defund them.
  The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative has been funded by 
Congress for years to support Ukraine against Putin's illegal 
annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequent war in the Donbas.
  In fact, President Trump used this same critical funding stream that 
we are debating today to transfer Javelin antitank missiles to Ukraine, 
reversing President Obama's failure to do so.
  While supporting Ukraine, Congress must ensure that all U.S. 
assistance is accounted for and every single taxpayer dollar is spent 
with precision. That is why my bill also includes $20 million for 
additional oversight of U.S. assistance to Ukraine.
  I had the opportunity to speak with President Zelenskyy during his 
recent

[[Page H4825]]

trip, and I emphasized the importance of this oversight.
  It is also in the U.S. security interest for Ukraine to win as soon 
as possible, and that is why I am asking my colleagues to join me in 
supporting my bill to ensure that the $300 million for DOD's Ukraine 
Security Assistance Initiative becomes law.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), ranking member of the full Appropriations 
Committee.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I have witnessed a lot of surprising and at 
times confounding things in my time in the House of Representatives, 
especially in this 118th Congress, but I do not recall a time that this 
body with an overwhelming bipartisan majority voted to appropriate 
funds that were then stripped from a bill in the darkness of night.
  Three hundred thirty-nine members of the House of Representatives, 
including a majority of the majority, voted yesterday to include 
support for Ukraine in the Defense appropriations bill. Ninety-three 
voted against it.

  Then the Republicans stripped the Ukraine funding from the Defense 
bill to placate an extreme minority over the will of the majority and 
prioritizes maintaining the gavel over responsible governing.
  Russian tyranny and aggression threaten more than just Ukraine's 
borders. We learned in Georgia, we learned in Crimea, if you stand by 
while Russia takes an inch, they will take a mile. Vladimir Putin must 
be held to account for upending Europe's security and peacetime for a 
pointless and bloody war which has disrupted energy markets and 
triggered food insecurity around the world.
  We must be clear about what this means, plain and simple. This is 
appeasement like the world experienced in 1938, which led to a 
cascading murderous result.
  Ukraine's fight for democracy and sovereignty requires decisive 
action and absolute support from the free world. We must act like the 
leaders of the free world. We must not abandon our position as the 
world's beacon of democratic values. We must not surrender our global 
influence to Russia, China, or any group that threatens democracies.
  Members of this body have come together again and again to reaffirm 
our commitment to helping Ukraine defend itself against this vicious 
invasion. We did so again yesterday. Regardless of which votes the 
majority is afraid of taking, Democrats will not be afraid of 
supporting our allies.
  Funds for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative should remain in 
the base bill. That is where they have been since 2015. Republicans now 
have an $826 billion Defense bill that does not include any assistance 
for Ukraine, the most urgent security crisis that we face in the world. 
Even if House Republicans insist on upending our process, we cannot 
abandon Ukraine.
  I urge the Speaker of the House to lead those who actually wish to 
govern, not those who seek to appease Putin. We need to support 
Ukraine.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
the supplemental appropriations act.
  This month, Luke Coffey of the Hudson Institute addressed ``The Top 
Myths about U.S. Aid to Ukraine,'' revealing: ``Every dollar spent in 
support of Ukraine is authorized by Congress and used for a specific 
purpose.''
  ``As of September 2023, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with $101 
billion, or 0.43 percent of America's GDP.''
  ``The vast majority of this money never leaves the U.S. and instead 
supports American jobs.''
  ``There has likely never been more accountability in place for U.S. 
foreign assistance . . . '' with the U.S. `` . . . Ukraine Oversight 
Interagency Working Group. More than 160 officials across 20 Federal 
oversight agencies monitor U.S. aid to Ukraine.''
  ``According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy's Ukraine aid 
tracker, total European commitments are now more than double those of 
the U.S.''
  ``Russia is China's junior partner. A defeated Russia means a weaker 
China.''
  Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, ``The security of the 
Indo-Pacific region cannot be separated from European security.''
  War criminal Putin started this conflict of dictators with rule of 
gun, opposing democracies with rule of law, declaring their goal of 
death to Israel, death to America.
  We should support the supplemental for peace through strength in the 
spirit of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan: Why not victory?
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a leader in the Ukrainian Caucus here in the U.S. 
Congress.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member McCollum for her 
steadfast leadership and yielding time.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill provides military support for Ukraine. I 
firmly stand on the side of Ukraine, on the side of liberty, and 
against Russian tyranny.
  Such support to Ukraine is both necessary and noble. Given the 
immensity of the ongoing onslaught by Russia to do less is acquiescence 
to Vladimir Putin and his expansionist lethal ambitions.
  America's commitment to delivering aid to Ukraine is rooted in the 
enduring U.S.-Ukraine relationship, a partnership that dates back to 
Ukraine's Declaration of Independence as a captive nation from the 
clutches of the Soviet Union when it collapsed in 1991.
  Since that pivotal moment, the United States has consistently backed 
Ukraine, providing vital support for sovereignty, security, and 
development through foreign assistance. The urgency of our cultural, 
political, and economic ties with Ukraine has gained even greater 
significance in the face of Vladimir Putin's unprovoked aggression. The 
free world cannot turn a blind eye to the consequences of failing to 
deter Putin's expansionist ambitions after his 2014 annexation of 
Crimea.
  The world's inaction then led to the horrifying events of February 24 
last year when Russian tanks rolled into Kyiv, Ukraine, to impose 
foreign tyranny over 40 million people. In response to Ukraine's brave 
resistance, Putin has unleashed a calculated campaign of terror. He 
invaded, bombed cities, kidnapped children, and committed grievous war 
crimes with the intent of erasing Ukraine's very identity as a free 
nation.
  More than 120,000 lives have been lost; 170,000 troops have been 
injured on the scrimmage line of liberty in Europe; 20,000 wounded 
amputees are a grim reminder of Putin's butchery. Valiantly, Ukraine 
has not surrendered. The free world must meet Russia's latest salvo 
against freedom.
  Ukraine's heroic defenses serve as a beacon of hope. When people 
unite to defend their freedom, they can overcome the most predatory, 
formidable enemies. There are implications for global security far 
beyond Ukraine. Ukraine's plight is not just about its liberty; it is 
about freedom everywhere.
  Let me be clear: Funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance 
Initiative is not just about financial aid, it is a testament to our 
full-fledged commitment to a free, sovereign, and democratic nation.
  To Ukrainians here in America and abroad, know that the free world 
and everyone that represents the majority on both sides of the aisle 
here, all of our colleagues, stand with you.
  Freedom means never surrender. Liberty's allies stand by the brave 
people of Ukraine. With our help, the Ukrainians will defeat Putin's 
aggression.

                              {time}  1845

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Hill), my good friend.
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this bill to 
the floor.
  I rise in support of Mr. Kean's bill.
  Mr. Speaker, after President Obama's appeasement and inaction, Putin 
took Crimea without firing a shot and invaded the Donbas, 15,000 people 
were killed back in 2014. It was President Trump that started sending 
Javelins and other lethal weapons to Ukraine to defend itself and 
continued important training and logistical support of the Ukrainians 
that had preceded his efforts.
  It was President Trump that signed into law this annual funding every 
year

[[Page H4826]]

of his Presidency. That is why this small nation of Ukraine with its 
brave people, amazing drive, and passion for freedom have demonstrated 
to the world that it is the best military in the territory of Ukraine. 
Russia has stumbled from being the second largest power in the world 
militarily to maybe barely the second best in Ukraine.
  Mr. Speaker, the price for less than 1 week of Federal spending 
authorized by this Congress--less than 1 week of Federal spending--we 
have seen the Ukrainians decimate the Russian military strength and set 
it back decades.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this measure tonight. I support the 
reassessment of Ukraine's strategy to win and win promptly, too. Heads, 
Ukraine wins. Tails, Russia, the invader, loses. We need to make sure 
they have the right strategy and that it has got the right way to win 
and win promptly.
  I support the careful and prudent inspector general funding attached 
to this bill to make sure that American taxpayer funds are spent in the 
right way to have a decisive defeat of the Russians.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge that we adopt this bill with a strong bipartisan 
vote.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Minnesota has 5 minutes 
remaining. The gentleman from California has 6 minutes remaining.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times this week, this 
Congress has consistently provided this funding for the last 9 fiscal 
years. I hope we will work hard to make sure that this funding returns 
in conference back to the base bill in the Defense Appropriations 
Subcommittee.
  Providing training and equipment to Ukraine has helped them withstand 
Russia's full scale invasion, and continuing this support in the base 
bill on a bipartisan basis is important to maintaining that effort.
  I had the privilege of meeting women from Ukraine who are in the 
Ukrainian ambulance corps. They drive around in subcompacts. They drive 
around without bulletproof vests and whatever first aid equipment they 
can find firsthand to save lives.
  I have had the honor and privilege of meeting people who are going 
through our training courses that we do with NATO in Germany, as the 
chair was referring to. I had the privilege before the invasion 
happened in February 2022 of meeting the mayor of Kyiv where he was 
just asking if he could make sure that the United States had the right 
caliber bullets for the hunting rifles and some of the guns that the 
Ukrainian citizens in Kyiv and the surrounding areas had so they could 
support their military should the invasion occur. We did that. It was 
an honor to work with those who made sure that that happened.
  Mr. Speaker, recently I had a friend in Nisswa, Minnesota, who was 
returning home from Kyiv where she had not only time to spend with her 
mother and go mushroom hunting and watch firsthand the post-traumatic 
stress that her family is dealing with, but saying goodbye to a cousin 
who is returning to the front lines after healing from a wound.
  Ukrainians are fighting. They are fighting for their very existence, 
and they are fighting for their strongly held democratic values that we 
share and, as I said, for their very existence. They are standing up to 
an authoritarian bully, and we should continue to stand up with them 
and support them in the ways we have been doing.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5692, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 730, the 
previous question is ordered on the bill.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of the bill.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

                          ____________________