On top of the $2 billion it already sent to Ukraine, the Biden administration has asked Congress to ignore its previous request for $10 billion to pay for updated COVID-19 vaccines for American citizens (Pandemic? What pandemic?), and send an additional $33 billion to Ukraine instead. The House of Representatives not only obliged, but authorized more than Biden wanted - $40 billion.
The U.S. Congress does this with military spending all the time. They live to please!
Every Democratic congressman voted "yes" to send weapons to a country that has "several hundred monuments, statues, and streets named after Nazi collaborators," according to The Forward. That even includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "Squad," who claim to be progressive.
In the Senate, a rare voice of opposition was raised by libertarian Republican Rand Paul. "We don't need to be the sugar daddy and the policemen of the world," Paul remarked. For his trouble, Paul was bizarrely accused of "treason" by online commenters who suggested that his surly Kentucky neighbor should assault him again. All Paul wanted was a week to go over exactly where all that money is going.
Whatever you think of the crisis in Ukraine, Paul has a point. A week isn't going to make any difference. We should distrust bullies who tell us there's no time to think, hurry up, shut up, do what we tell you. The total lack of debate in Washington, and in the news media, over the quick transfer of $40 billion to a country that is not a U.S. ally, has a grim human rights record, and recently banned a bunch of political parties and opposition cable news channels, ought to prompt some sort of discussion.
First and foremost, we ought to consider just how much money $40 billion is and what it could do here in the United States, for Americans.
The $40 billion we are sending to Ukraine will not change the outcome of the war. The United States would never commit enough money or ground troops to do that because it would risk World War III with Russia. The $40 billion will buy a lot of weapons and ammunition that will kill Russians and Ukrainians. Nothing more; nothing less.
So how much, exactly, is $40 billion?
Here in the United States, here are some of the things that $40 billion could do:
A $2,000 scholarship for every college student.
A $6,000 scholarship for every college student who is officially in poverty.
$72,000 to every homeless person.
$2,400 to every veteran.
$410,000 to every public school.
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