As Biden falters, House moves to protect Ukraine and America’s standing in the world
A heartfelt thank you to the members of the House.
Nearly $6 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority granted to the President to aid Ukraine is set to expire on September 30th. The Biden administration is not new to wasting the authority the U.S. House of Representatives granted to help Ukraine in its existential fight against Putin’s regime.
In 2023, President Biden and his team allowed $1.7 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority, provided by Congress in an earlier aid package, to expire. They then blamed Republican obstruction in Congress for Ukraine’s struggles in the second half of 2023 and early 2024.
According to President Biden and his team, the fall of Avdiivka into Russian hands had nothing to do with the administration’s failure to use the funds granted by the House, but everything to do with the House not passing a new aid package.
Yeah, right!!!!
In April 2024, the House and the Senate worked hard to provide President Biden with nearly $7.8 billion in new drawdown authority. They were likely aware of President Biden’s track record when it comes to national security. To prevent him from slow-walking aid to Ukraine and controlling the war from a distance, the House introduced multiple guardrails.
They asked him to present a plan for victory within 45 days of the bill’s passage. They gave him the power to spend $7.8 billion before September 30, 2024. They asked him to send long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. President Biden has blown past the first two guardrails and is skirting the third. While the administration did send the ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, from what I’m seeing on the frontlines, Ukraine hasn’t used them for nearly a month. The odds are high that they are holding back on that as well.
If the $6 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority had expired this month, it would have caused irreparable damage to America’s standing on the global stage. Consider this for a moment — every member of the European Parliament would know that Congress provided the funds, yet Biden allowed them to lapse just as Ukraine was gaining momentum on the battlefield.
How will history books be written if the war takes a turn for the worse for Ukraine?
It would be a shameful chapter in American history, one that could never be erased. No historian would forget to note that, and they wouldn’t fail to mention that the United States blocked the United Kingdom and France from allowing Ukraine to use their weapons to strike Russian military targets.
They won’t say it’s all Biden. They should, but they won’t. They’ll say it was the United States.
Eighty-seven percent of Americans want to help Ukraine. The House wants to help Ukraine. The Senate wants to help Ukraine. I can’t say the same about President Biden or his team. They talk a big game, but that’s all they do.
This is exactly why the founders of the nation opted for the separation of powers. The President of the United States is not a king. The House of Representatives can shape the fate of the country — and the world — and they are stepping up once again.
Reports indicate that the Congress is trying to extend the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
Extensions of Presidential Drawdown, Direct Commercial Contracting, and FMF authorities will be included as anomalies in the State and Foreign Ops section of the continuing resolution Congress is currently working on.
I know many of us instinctively think the House is broken and that nothing meaningful will come from it. In many cases, that’s true. But when it comes to Ukraine, protecting democracies around the world, and safeguarding America’s national security interests, the House and the Senate have delivered time and again.
They do a lot of bs. And it is a bit hard to cut through the nonsense.
But, if I had to choose between the House of Representatives on one side and President Biden and his team on the other to protect America’s national security interests, I’d pick Congressional Democrats and Republicans every time — 10 out of 10 times.
So, I’m glad this issue has reached the House. I’m even more glad that Democrats and Republicans are working together to find a way to prevent the Presidential Drawdown Authority from expiring.
I have one request for House members: never allow any President to take you for granted. The House asked the President to submit his plan for victory and to supply long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. They sent some, but from what I’ve seen, they may have pulled the plug once again.
These people are adept at playing at the margins. Don’t let them.
Demand answers. Hold the President accountable. A mandate given by the House cannot be disrespected by this President or any future President. When they refuse to show respect, ensure that the entire country knows. Don’t stay quiet. Let Americans know that the House delivered while the administration did not.
And many thanks to the members of the House for trying to save this President from himself. I know the extension hasn’t come through yet, but as I said, I trust Congressional Democrats and Republicans more than I trust President Biden and his national security team.
Update (good news):
The State Department will include the PDA extension request in the Continuing Resolution. The U.S. must pass an emergency spending bill before September 30th to avoid a government shutdown. This bill is known as the Continuing Resolution (CR). The CR must pass — there is no way around it. As a result, the PDA extension will go through as well.
The State Department is headed by none other than Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the only person within the administration I still trust.
Thanks for reading. Making critical information on Ukraine accessible is one way to fight misinformation. That’s why I’ve made 270 stories free to the public in 2024, including this one.
