Kean Ukraine funding bill passes House

Freshman Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) has officially passed his first bill: the Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provides $300 million in funds for Ukraine aid and creates a new Office of the Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance.

The House passed the bill last night on a bipartisan 311-117 vote. Every House Democrat was unified behind Kean’s proposal, while the more Ukraine-skeptical Republican caucus was split; among Kean’s fellow New Jersey Republicans, Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) supported the bill but Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) opposed it.

The funding was originally included as part of the annual Defense Department appropriations bill, but was stripped out after some holdouts in the Republican caucus objected. Removing the funding allowed GOP leadership to narrowly pass the defense bill; the Ukraine objectors then voted against Kean’s bill, but they were outnumbered by Democrats and pro-Ukraine Republicans.

“Colleagues, we must demand President Biden send weapons to Ukraine at the speed of relevance, and we must fully utilize the available security assistance authorities to support Ukraine’s victory – not defund them,” Kean said on the House floor.

The bill’s provisions creating a new inspector general for Ukraine aid, Kean said, is necessary to make sure that taxpayer funds are being spent appropriately and effectively.

“While supporting Ukraine, Congress must ensure that all U.S. assistance is accounted for by [making sure] every single taxpayer dollar is spent with precision,” he said. “That’s why my bill also includes $20 million for additional oversight of U.S. assistance to Ukraine.”