WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) released the following statement after voting no on S. 3522, the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
“I strongly condemn Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. However, I learned a long time ago not to lend money unless you don’t mind never getting it back. The United States is already the largest donor to this war, straining our own defense capabilities and supplies while other NATO countries watch American taxpayers foot the lion’s share of the bill,” said Congressman Tiffany.
“While Americans are confronted with the highest inflation in 40 years, a shrinking economy, and a border catastrophe, President Biden is requesting billions more in aid for Ukraine that could potentially draw our military into another trillion-dollar conflict half a world away,” Tiffany added.
“If the last two decades have taught us anything, it is that it’s always much easier to get our country into a foreign conflict than it is to get out. Intervening in an overseas military engagement – whether through the deployment of US personnel, or a blank-check for military assistance – is among the most serious decisions an American leader can make. It is a step that should only be taken when clear, vital national security interests of the United States are at stake,” Tiffany concluded.
Congress approved more than $13 billion in Ukrainian assistance just last month, and President Biden requested another $33 billion today.
The U.S. is already the largest donor to Ukraine in the current conflict, and analysts have suggested that the American commitment risks depleting U.S. munitions stockpiles that could take “months or years” to replenish.
