Roy, Hawley push Ukraine monetary transparency

Rep. Chip Roy Roy (R-TX-21) joined Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) last Thursday proposed legislation that would provide oversight over American taxpayer money flowing to Ukraine by establishing the Office of the Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance (SIGUA).

If passed, the bill would establish a Senate-confirmed office to conduct audits, investigations and oversight for programs run by the Defense Department, State Department and USAID.

The legislation also directs SIGUA to submit quarterly reports to Congress on the United States’ contribution to the war effort compared to NATO allies and information on the Ukrainian government’s compliance with anti-corruption measures.

Roy said he was proud to team with Hawley on the “critical fight for transparency.”

“It has been almost 400 days, and the American taxpayer has sent $113 billion to this de facto proxy war. That’s over $11 million per hour with no legitimate debate in Congress about our role, our strategy, or our long-term objectives,” Roy said.

Roy was one of the 57 Republicans who voted last year against a $40 billion aid package Ukraine included military, food and humanitarian aid.

After saying lawmakers weren’t given enough time to read the bill, Roy motioned for the House to adjourn. The motion was ultimately denied and the bill passed with bipartisan support.

While Roy voted against banning Russian oil imports following the invasion of Ukraine, Hawley supported such sanctions.

“Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine and invasion of its territory must be met with strong American resolve,” Hawley said in a statement in February 2022. “The Biden Administration should sanction Russian energy production to a halt, and help arm the Ukrainians to defend themselves.”

On February 24, the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Hawley criticized the amount of money spent on Ukraine aid during an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight.

In an op-ed piece published in March 2023 on Fox News, Hawley wrote, “Over the last year, our leaders have sent a mind-blowing amount of money to Ukraine. If Congress cares about making sure that cash is well spent, they should go on record about it.”

Echoing that sentiment, Roy said in a statement last week, “If this body cannot bring itself to actually debate these questions, then the people who elected us deserve – at the bare minimum – to know where their hard-earned money is going.