Biden Must Justify This War
State of the Union: Rep. Warren Davidson continues his one-man crusade against government splurging in Ukraine.
In the year and a half since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the public’s frustration with the U.S. government’s avid spending in and support of Ukraine has grown. According to a recent CNN poll, most Americans—55 percent—oppose sending more monetary and other aid to Ukraine. Additionally, 56 percent believe that the war and our involvement in it constitutes a significant threat to our national security. An overwhelming majority—82 percent of Democrats, 75 percent of independents, and 73 percent of Republicans—is worried that the war will continue indefinitely without resolution.
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Given this disturbing reality, it would not be a far stretch to suggest that both Congress and the Biden administration should provide answers for the choices they have made regarding the over $100 billion of aid that has been sent overseas since the invasion.
Ohio’s Rep. Warren Davidson, a Republican, is seeking those answers with the “Define the Mission Act of 2023.” This bill would require President Biden to submit a report to congress that would contain a specific strategy for U.S. involvement in Ukraine. The report would include (1) a list of specific U.S. national interests which are currently at stake in the Russo–Ukrainian War, (2) goals that President Biden thinks must be accomplished to protect our interests, (3) “an estimate of the amount of time required to achieve the objective, with an explanation,” (4) a list of how much European members of NATO are expected to contribute to the war effort over the next year, and (5) “an assessment of the impact of the Russian Federation’s dominance of the natural gas market in Europe on the ability to resolve the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.”
Davidson’s commitment to transparency in regard to American involvement in Ukraine is an undoubtedly admirable effort. The deadline to sign the bill is September 26, so its future is still uncertain. If the Define the Mission Act of 2023 does go into effect, the Biden administration will be forced to reckon with the fact that it cannot hide its actions and decisions from the public forever, and that the American people deserve to be privy to the process that is sending their money overseas without their permission and enthusiasm.