Senate and House Republicans Say What They Need to Approve More Ukraine Aid

Faced with the possibility of an October 1 government shutdown, House Democrats made the decision Saturday to support Speaker Kevin McCarthy's 45-day government funding proposal, which included billions of dollars for U.S. disaster relief but no additional funds for the Ukraine war effort.

While most Republicans continue to support efforts to fund Ukraine's defense of its borders against Russia's invasion, the issue has become contentious within the GOP conference as a growing number of members voice opposition.

A September 27 amendment vote calling on the U.S. to cease all military assistance to Ukraine received 93 Republican 'no' votes—compared to 126 Republican 'yes' votes—a 33-percent increase from the 70 who voted in favor of stripping assistance in July.

Additionally, despite Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's impassioned floor speeches calling for Ukraine funding to be part of a shutdown prevention deal, Punchbowl News reported Saturday that the longtime leader fell out of step with his conference after most Senate Republicans, including members of his own leadership team, opposed pushing the issue amid the impending shutdown threat.

"Most of our voters are really, really skeptical about additional aid to Ukraine, and they should be," Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, who opposes funding the war, told Newsweek. "We still don't have any independent oversight of the spending, no independent accounting of where it's going, how it's being spent. I just think that's outrageous."

While the Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General selected an inspector dedicated to overseeing aid to Ukraine who will take office October 18, Hawley and fellow Ukraine war critic Senator J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican, have called for the creation of an independent Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance office that would be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

While Hawley said the creation of such an office wouldn't change his opinion about funding the war effort, he believes it has the potential to change the minds of some lawmakers who are less sure of their stance.

Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a member of the Armed Services Committee and McConnell's leadership team, sees a different issue at hand. While she believes there's "pretty good tracking" in place for military assistance efforts, she sees cuts to humanitarian spending as a potential avenue for getting more Republicans on board.

"I think we need to continue funding the military support for Ukraine," Ernst told Newsweek. "I'm all about weapons, not welfare, so let's go do that and scale back on the humanitarian aid going to Ukraine. I think if Americans know we're in this to win this and get it over quickly, I think they would be more apt to support."

According to a September 21 report by the Council on Foreign Relations analyzing aid to Ukraine between January 24, 2022, and July 31, 2023, roughly five percent of funding has gone to humanitarian support, 34 percent toward financial assistance, and 61 percent toward military support. This accounts for $3.9 billion, $26.4 billion, and $46.6 billion respectively.

Republican Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska, a key centrist and member of the Armed Services Committee who supports the effort, agrees with Ernst's assessment.

"We should focus on military [support]," he told Newsweek. "That's what we're good at. Europe's very good at the other side of that. So, if that's the way to get stuff done, I'm amenable."

When asked for her assessment of the future Ukraine war effort's support, Congresswoman Victoria Spartz, an Indiana Republican who was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the U.S. in 2000, pointed to spending accountability as a key issue. She supports the effort, but like Hawley, she believes it's essential to demonstrate that taxpayer dollars are going to the right places.

"I raised this issue a year ago that we have to have proper accountability, oversight because it's worth it for the American people to see that their dollars are going to the right causes," she told Newsweek. "Unfortunately diplomacy failed and now only weapons can bring peace."