-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KENNEDY. Madam President, some time ago, Senator Sinema and I introduced the Independent and Objective Oversight of Ukrainian Assistance Act to create a special inspector general to follow the money with respect to Ukraine. Senators Hawley, Paul, Risch, and Wicker have been important voices in this. Indeed, they have had their own bills. We have gotten together and worked out a compromise.

Our bill would create a lead inspector general among the inspectors general right now doing the auditing, which are the Department of Defense, the State Department, and USAID. This lead inspector general would be our contact. We could go to that inspector general and get answers. By law, the inspector general would have to respond in 15 days.

We will not need Senate confirmation because I expect the President to appoint as the lead one of the inspectors general who are currently involved.

I urge favorable passage and yield to Senator Wicker or Senator Risch.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, do the proponents have any additional time?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KENNEDY. Go ahead. Save some more for me.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KENNEDY. I thank the Senator. You are a fine American.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the American people have sent over $100 billion to help our friends in Ukraine, and most Members of this body have supported it. But this money didn't fall from Heaven; it came out of people's pockets.

How can we possibly look the American people in the eye and say that we don't want to ensure to them that this money will not be stolen? That is all this bill does. It lets the President appoint a lead inspector general to answer to the U.S. Congress so we can look the American people in the eye and say: Your money was not stolen.

I can't imagine that we would not pass this bill. How can you go home and explain this to your people? You can't.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source