WASHINGTON—Heritage Action, a conservative grassroots organization with two million activists nationwide, today released the following statement from Executive Vice President Ryan Walker announcing a Key Vote ‘No’ in opposition to the consolidated foreign funding package moving through the U.S. Senate:
“The House-passed bill violates commonsense foreign aid principles that conservatives have supported for months. The legislation exploits the attacks on Israel to send $60 billion more to Ukraine without accountability or strategy—forcing Americans to take on even more debt to finance another country's war. Conservatives will not relent in our opposition to this irresponsible legislation that puts Americans last.”
Heritage Action President Dr. Kevin Roberts expressed concerns with the House package last week, saying, in part:
“The package fundamentally fails President Reagan’s peace through strength litmus test. It perpetuates Biden’s failed approach to the Ukraine-Russia conflict that is devoid of any coherent strategy, fails to deter our number one foreign adversary in China, undermines our greatest ally in Israel by sending billions to Gaza and into the hands of Hamas, and weakens America’s strength abroad.”
By issuing a Key Vote, lawmakers are notified that their vote on the Ukraine bill will affect their score on the Heritage Action Scorecard, which shows voters and activists how conservative lawmakers are by comparing their policy positions to those of Heritage Action. The scores of senators who vote for the House Amendment to H.R. 815 will be negatively impacted.
More information about the legislation and Heritage Action’s decision to issue a Key Vote ‘No’ can be found in the issue brief below, which was shared with lawmakers and congressional staff.
KEY VOTE: “No” on the House Amendment to H.R. 815 - Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024
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.
The border, Ukraine, Israel, and China have vitally important policy issues that should be considered separately, each deserving Congress’ full attention. According to national security and economic experts at The Heritage Foundation, each of the four bills in this package attempts to adhere to some conservative principles, but fails in notable ways:
FUNDING FOR UKRAINE (H.R. 8035):
- The bill includes $48.43 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
$19.85 for the replenishment of U.S. military weapons (intended to allow for increased transfers of weapons to Ukraine under Presidential Drawdown Authority)
$14.8 billion in operational support for the Department of Defense (DoD)
$13.8 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative
- $9.5 billion in “forgivable loans” for Ukraine’s government, infrastructure, and energy sector
However, under the bill, the President has authority to cancel 50% of that debt after Nov. 15, 2024, and then can cancel the remaining 50% after Jan. 2026.
- The Ukraine supplemental bill fails to meet conservative criteria laid out by The Heritage Foundation.
The bill does NOT require Europe to provide ALL non-military aid and a majority of Ukraine’s military aid and does NOT prevent Ukraine from receiving weapons and munitions that our troops need to deter China.
FUNDING FOR ISRAEL (H.R. 8034):
- The bill includes $13 billion in military aid to Israel.
$4.4 billion for repair and replacement of equipment and $800 million for ammunition
$5.2 billion for Iron Beam, Iron Dome, and David’s Sling
$3.5 billion for Foreign Military Financing
- Alarmingly, the bill includes $9.1 billion for civilian aid to Gaza, which could be stolen by Hamas.
$5.655 billion for International Disaster Assistance for Gaza
$3.495 billion for Migration and Refugee Assistance
- While UNWRA is prohibited from receiving funding in this bill, the oversight mechanisms will not prevent a wide diversion to bad actors.
There will not be on-the-ground USG officials to conduct on-site oversight to ensure aid integrity.
Given the large amounts of money, there will be pressure to spend it at the cost of waste, fraud, and abuse.
Other International Organizations may hire former local UNWRA employees, which would render the prohibition on UNWRA funding less effective.
FUNDING FOR TAIWAN AND THE INDO-PACIFIC (H.R. 8036):
The bill includes $3.3 billion for the U.S. submarine industrial base, $1.9 billion for Presidential Drawdown Authority for Taiwan, and $2 billion in Foreign Military Financing for partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Despite some useful appropriations specifically focused on the Indo-Pacific, this bill does not prioritize the region.
The other two supplemental bills provide the vast majority of funding to other regions—Europe and the Middle East— and may delay efforts to avert war in the Indo-Pacific.
The use of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to arm Taiwan is the most effective way to arm Taiwan quickly, and its inclusion in the Indo-Pacific Supplemental Appropriations Act is a positive development.
21st CENTURY PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH ACT (H.R. 8038):
- The REPO for Ukrainians Act correctly seeks to hold Russia accountable for its illegal invasion of Ukraine. It would, however, do so in a counterproductive and long-term problematic manner. The bill would:
Give unprecedented legal authority to an administration that has demonstrated its disregard for its constitutional obligations
Fund future reconstruction when current military assistance is a more pressing need, likely fail to achieve the desired strategic advantage
Undermine the dollar-denominated global finance system
Expose an already fragile economy to unintended consequences and risks for which the United States is unprepared.
The REPO for Ukrainians Act will likely cause an even greater burden for U.S. taxpayers and risks putting the U.S. at the mercy of foreign court rulings.
So far, the American people have sent $113 billion to Ukraine—more than $45 billion of which was for non-defense spending. Tens of millions of U.S. dollars have already been stolen by corrupt Ukrainian officials because of Congress' chaotic and reckless push to provide aid without guardrails, and the Biden administration has yet to explain how further fraud will be prevented.
Polling conducted last week revealed widespread disapproval for the foreign aid bills among American voters. The J.L. Partners polling found that just 33% of Americans support more funding for Ukraine, while 47% oppose.
BACKGROUND:
Heritage Action: Flawed Foreign Aid Package 'Almost Indistinguishable’ from Failed Senate Effort, Vote ‘No’ on Ukraine Bill
The Heritage Foundation: Supplemental Appropriations to Meet the Moment
The Heritage Foundation: The REPO for Ukrainians Act Is Unnecessary, Costly, and Risky
The Heritage Foundation: The Senate’s Supplemental Spending Package Is Reckless and Irresponsible