Heritage Action opposes the House-passed supplemental foreign aid package and will include the vote on final passage as a Key Vote on our legislative scorecard.
Americans deserve fiscally responsible national security spending bills that support our national interests and deliver on what is best for American taxpayers. This flawed foreign aid package recklessly spends Americans tax dollars without a strategy, plan, or end goal.
As national security and economic experts at The Heritage Foundation have laid out, this bill does not adhere to key conservative principles, and fails to allocate dollars in a way that strategically meets the foreign policy challenges of the moment.
First, it perpetuates Biden’s failed approach to the Ukraine-Russia conflict that is devoid of any coherent strategy and prioritizes the vast majority of funding to Europe and the Middle East over addressing our number one foreign adversary in China. The package includes more than $60 billion for Ukraine but only $1.9 billion for the use of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for Taiwan, the most effective way to arm Taiwan quickly.
Second, it is wholly irresponsible in its approach to funding Ukraine. It continues to spend more dollars that are unaccountable, and fails to include the oversight owed to American taxpayers. The package includes a $9.8 billion “loan” for non-military spending in Ukraine that the President would have authority to cancel 50% of after November 15, 2024, and the authority to cancel the remaining 50% after January 2026. Even the well-intentioned ‘REPO Act’ risks weakening the U.S. dollar, putting the U.S. at risk of adverse judgments by the United Nations. The bill also does not require Europe to provide all non-military aid and a majority of Ukraine’s military aid. Americans deserve transparent spending and articulated strategy that will yield results.
Third, while the package does include $13 billion in military aid to Israel, it also sends $9.1 billion in civilian aid to Gaza which is at high risk of being diverted to Hamas. Aid should target American interests in securing stability in the region—not fuel the crisis.
Finally, the critical TikTok bill, which was sent to the Senate weeks ago, now contains an extension of the divestment window from six months to nine months—plus an additional three-month extension (past the November election) at the discretion of the President. Instead of trying to add a weakened version into this spending package, the Senate should pass the House’s original bill, H.R. 7521, independently from foreign aid and without delay.
Congress cannot continue to ignore the consequences of adding to America’s soaring national debt. Due to the cost of living crisis created by Congress’ reckless spending, more than 60% of Americans currently live paycheck-to-paycheck and more than 44 million live in “food insecure” households.
As a whole, this supplemental foreign aid package is devoid of fiscal responsibility and fails to properly balance America’s priorities and national interests. Heritage Action encourages all senators to vote ‘no.’
Heritage Action opposes the House-passed supplemental foreign aid package and will include the vote on final passage as a Key Vote on our legislative scorecard.