Republicans are accusing the White House for its decision to use its presidential drawdown authority (PDA) to provide military aid to Kenya, which could amount to tens of millions of dollars, rather than to Ukraine, where weapons could significantly affect the situation at the front.
This was reported by Politico.
The report says that some Republican lawmakers have accused the Biden administration of going around lawmakers and sending tens of millions of dollars worth of military equipment to Kenyan forces deploying to Haiti, which they say could otherwise be used to help Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The military aid package includes rifles, ammunition and armored vehicles for the Kenyan military.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul and Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jim Risch in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the idea of accelerating the allocation of $60 million in military aid to Haiti, claiming it is to quell violent gangs wreaking havoc in the country.
Here is what the letter said: "The President’s unprecedented use of PDA in this context is extremely questionable. Plainly stated, the administration is rushing to fund an undefined and indefinite engagement in Haiti without Congressional approval."
In addition, Politico mentions that McCaul and Risch have been blocking funds that the White House believes are needed to strengthen Kenyan forces for many months. Representatives of the Republican Party have doubts about the success of the plan for Haiti.
It is also noted that such support could "come at a cost for Ukraine, as the White House is also sending Kyiv equipment directly from Pentagon stockpiles."
With this in mind, the GOP aide emphasized:
"Armed services are conducting internal inventory audits to see what they can spare for Haiti — which puts it in direct competition with Ukraine for materials."
However, the US State Department pointed out that it is "responding to multiple critical needs around the world, and the scenarios in Ukraine and Haiti are different."
It is also noted that support for Haiti does not limit the United States' assistance to Ukraine: "Supporting the people of Haiti does not limit or take away from our ability to support the people of Ukraine. Both are important priorities and in each case, we identify support tailored to the needs of our partners."
In turn, Republican Senator Tim Kaine called on Republicans to allocate funding "so we can work with partners around the world to restore stability for the Haitian people and prevent another migrant crisis."
Earlier, we wrote about when the main part of the US weapons will arrive in Ukraine.