Manchin Questions Department of Defense Leadership on Importance of Passing a Budget on Time, Oversight of Aid to Ukraine

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Cybersecurity Subcommittee, questioned Department of Defense (DoD) leadership on the importance of passing a national budget on time and on ensuring accountability and oversight in U.S. assistance to Ukraine. The witnesses were Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, Michael J. McCord, Under Secretary of Defense and General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

 

 

“Secretary Austin, multiple sources, including retired generals, the National Defense Industrial Association, the American Enterprise Institute and your colleague Mr. McCord have all recognized the damage of failing to pass a national budget on time to both our national security and taxpayers,” Senator Manchin said in part. “From Fiscal Years 1991 to 2010, the average delay for defense appropriations was 29 days, and that has since ballooned out to 118 days…If we, as Congress, did our job on time, we’re told we could save between 5 and 10% of the budget request you have. Is that an accurate statement?”

 

 

“Since the beginning of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, the United States has provided over $76 billion in justified funding to support Ukraine, both in the military defense of their people and also in humanitarian and infrastructure support. Can you speak to your confidence in U.S. and NATO weapons accountability and elaborate on the Joint Strategic Oversight Plan that was announced earlier this year by the DoD, the State Department and USAID?” Senator Manchin continued.