Pentagon Spent Every Last Penny Of Latest Ukraine Package Before Congress Even Approved It

[Geee]

Daily Caller

The Pentagon spent hundreds of millions in aid to Ukraine four months before Congress ever approved it, Politico reported Monday.

President Joe Biden on Saturday signed off on Congress’ $1.2 trillion 2024 spending bill which included roughly $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), as Kyiv has not received funding from Congress in over a year. The $300 million had already been spent by the Department of Defense (DOD) in November because it was obligated under a continuing resolution at the time, according to Politico.

Therefore, the $300 million in aid included in the appropriations bill has no current physical value and “is not available to us right now,” a U.S. official speaking anonymously told Politico.

The Pentagon previously announced a $300 million aid package to Ukraine in November but warned it “exhaust[ed] the remaining USAI funds currently available to support Ukraine.” The USAI was set up when Russia invaded the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 and serves to provide aid for longer-term purposes, according to Politico.

It is a separate process from the Pentagon pulling from its reserves and transferring weapons to Ukraine directly, which is known as the presidential drawdown authority often used in emergency wartime scenarios. The Pentagon tapped the Presidential Drawdown Authority in early March to deliver Ukraine an additional $300 million in emergency weapons.

[Geee]

 I guess the three branches of government no longer exist. The Executive no longer has to bother with the Congress or the Supreme Court.