The government teetered on the brink of a shutdown over the weekend, only to be saved once Congress passed a stopgap bill in the 11th hour. Something noticeably absent from the measure that would keep the government operating for an additional 45 days? Any funding for Ukraine. The Senate version of the continuing resolution that did not pass did include $6 billion in additional funding.
President Joe Biden and Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have repeated their calls for additional funding for the war-torn country, but now-former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has linked Ukraine aid and the U.S. Mexico border. “I’m going to make sure that the weapons are provided for Ukraine, but they’re not going to get some big package if the border is not secure,” McCarthy told Face the Nation over the weekend.
In a June conversation with Forbes Newsroom, North Dakota Governor and 2024 presidential contender Doug Burgum (R) bluntly stated that the United States is “actually at war with Russia.” What is his take on the House not including military aid funding for Ukraine in the stopgap measure?
When it comes to sending Ukraine military aid, Burgum points to Ukraine’s ability to have already taken “out a huge chunk of [Russia’s] capability,” adding, “I don’t call that irresponsible spending, I call that a bargain.” The Republican governor did add a caveat, though: “There’s no blank checks — there has to be accountability. We have to track every dollar.”
When it comes to linking aid to Ukraine and border security, Burgum is not sold. “We can help Ukraine beat Russia and we can secure our own border at the same time.”
For the full conversation, click on the video above.
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