Buckeye Reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator JD Vance (R-OH), along with Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), introduced legislation to require the Department of Defense to use accounting methods that capture the true cost of sending weapons from U.S. stockpiles abroad. This legislation will help prevent further accounting issues at the Department, such as its $6.2 billion “valuation error” of certain military equipment provided to Ukraine.

“This legislation will save American taxpayers from footing the bill for shoddy accounting at the Pentagon,” said Senator Vance. “There should be no excuse for accounting errors with a seven-figure price tag. With this bill, Congress can ensure that the cost of our military aid is properly and consistently calculated.”

“The so-called ‘valuation errors’ around U.S. aid to Ukraine is a transparent attempt to bypass Congress for additional funds, while continuing to prioritize Ukraine over more vital U.S. interests, including deterring China in the Pacific,” said Senator Hawley. “We must force the DoD to appropriately account for any future aid, not only for Ukraine, but also for all U.S. security assistance going forward.”

Read the legislation here. 

For Background:

This legislation ensures DoD’s valuation of defense articles and services sent abroad under the Presidential Drawdown Authority section in 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act accurately reflects what these transfers will cost American taxpayers.

Earlier this week, Senator Vance joined Senator Josh Hawley and others in sending a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanding an explanation from the Department for its $6.2 billion accounting error.

In January, Senator Vance and Congressman Dan Bishop (R-NC) sent a bicameral letter to White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young requesting an expansion of the congressionally mandated crosscutting report on the amount of security assistance to Ukraine.

Original source can be found here.