Blog

The House Foreign Affairs Committee announced Wednesday it will hold a hearing next week focused on the oversight of the $113 billion in U.S. aid sent to Ukraine.

The witnesses scheduled to testify March 29 are State Department Deputy Inspector General Diana Shaw, U.S. Agency for International Development Inspector General Nicole Angarella and Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch.

Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, has supported sending aid to help Ukraine defend itself in its war against Russia, but he, along with many Republicans, have grown increasingly vocal in recent months about oversight of the money.

“U.S. security, economic and humanitarian assistance has made a critical difference for Ukraine as they fight to maintain their independence,” McCaul and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Roger, R-Ala., said in a joint statement in January. “However, Congress can’t only cut checks, we must also ensure U.S. aid is being spent transparently, effectively, and advances U.S. national security interests.”

There are steps in place aimed at ensuring the money is not misused, including oversight by the Pentagon, State Department and USAID. The government funding bill approved by Congress in December also includes several provisions regarding Ukraine aid oversight. And the World Bank also regularly provides reports and audits of the funding, said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power and Pentagon Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl each said last month there is no evidence U.S. assistance in Ukraine has been misused. And after McCaul and other GOP House members visited Poland and Ukraine last month, they said in a statement, “We were encouraged to learn that, to date, no significant acts of fraud or misuse involving U.S. assistance have occurred.”

The three inspectors general testifying next week traveled together to Ukraine, Poland and Germany in January. In Ukraine, they conveyed that American taxpayers expect transparency around the funding. The watchdogs have called for deploying more auditors to the war zone to conduct more comprehensive oversight.

“I think we have been as creative and, you know, out of the box, forward-leaning with the oversight we’ve been able to accomplish so far,” Angarella told The Wall Street Journal in February. “But for real comprehensive, robust oversight, it can’t be done remotely.”

The House Oversight Committee is also scrutinizing the Ukraine aid. Last month, the Republican-led panel sent a letter requesting documents and information “to understand how the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State (State), and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) are conducting oversight of these funds.”

Meanwhile, far-right Republicans say they oppose continuing to help fund Ukraine’s efforts.

Last month, 11 House Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, introduced the “Ukraine Fatigue Resolution” calling for the U.S. to cut off aid to Kyiv.

“America is in a state of managed decline, and it will exacerbate if we continue to hemorrhage taxpayer dollars toward a foreign war,” Gaetz said. “We must suspend all foreign aid for the War in Ukraine and demand that all combatants in this conflict reach a peace agreement immediately.”

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both Republicans, have said they oppose continued U.S. aid to Ukraine. Trump is a candidate for president again in 2024, and DeSantis is considering a run.