Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Chair, I cannot in good faith support this legislation without the inclusion of funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill.

My amendment would protect funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative that has been included in this Defense appropriations bill since 2016.

USAI is a major reason why the Ukrainian army is a much different, much better army than it was when the Russians took Crimea a decade ago. This program is central to the strategy to help Ukraine fight Russian aggression and, therefore, central to our own efforts to protect democracy across the globe.

Ukraine's battle for its independence has not ended. Our support for them must not end, either. Many people in this room voted to provide $61 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine, but it is important to remember that $13 billion went to replenish U.S. equipment, $7 billion went to strengthen our industrial base and to increase weapons production, and $7 billion went to bolster U.S. forces in Europe and the Middle East. It is still not enough.

As recently as March, Russia was firing around 10,000 shells a day compared to just 2,000 from the Ukrainian side. Putin has, indeed, doubled down, dramatically increasing his military production to the point of 29 percent of his budget.

USAI allows Ukraine to purchase weapons and equipment directly from U.S. manufacturers. An investment in this initiative is an investment in our own economy, not a handout. The program has been used to integrate the Ukraine military with Western militaries, increasing their capabilities and training their soldiers, but it is critical to understand that the Department of Defense has committed $8.2 billion of the approximately $13.8 billion in USAI funding appropriated through the Ukraine supplemental and anticipates committing the remainder of the funds by the end of calendar year 2024.

At the end of the debate, I will insert into the Record the text of this amendment, and I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

If we fail to continue this funding, we would effectively signal to authoritarian leaders with expansionist ambition around the world that the U.S. will allow them to act with impunity.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the text of the amendment.

Mr. Quigley moves to recommit the bill H.R. 8774 to the Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment:

Page 128, line 4, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $300,000,000)''.

At the end of the bill, before the short title, insert following:

Sec. __. For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide'', for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, $300,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026, shall be for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative: Provided, That, such funds shall be available to the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, to provide assistance, including training; equipment; lethal assistance; logistics support, supplies and services; salaries and stipends; sustainment; and intelligence support to the military and national security forces of Ukraine, and to other forces or groups recognized by and under the authority of the Government of Ukraine, including governmental entities within Ukraine, engaged in resisting Russian aggression against Ukraine for replacement of any weapons or articles provided to the Government of Ukraine from the inventory of the United States, and to recover or dispose of equipment procured using funds made available in this section in this or prior Acts: Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense shall, not less than 15 days prior to obligating funds made available in this section, notify the congressional defense committees in writing of the details of any such obligation: Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense shall, not more than 60 days after such notification is made, inform such committees if such funds have not been obligated and the reasons therefor: Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense shall consult with such committees in advance of the provision of support provided to other forces or groups recognized by and under the authority of the Government of Ukraine: Provided further, That the United States may accept equipment procured using funds made available in this section in this or prior Acts transferred to the security forces of Ukraine and returned by such forces to the United States: Provided further, That equipment procured using funds made available in this section in this or prior Acts, and not yet transferred to the military or national security forces of Ukraine or to other assisted entities, or returned by such forces or other assisted entities to the United States, may be treated as stocks of the Department of Defense upon written notification to the congressional defense committees: Provided further, That any notification of funds made available in this section shall specify an estimated timeline for the delivery of defense articles and defense services provided and shall identify if any equipment provided requires enhanced end-use monitoring: Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense may accept and retain contributions, including money, personal property, and services, from foreign governments and other entities, to carry out assistance authorized for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative in this section: Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense shall notify the congressional defense committees in writing upon the receipt and upon the obligation of any contribution, delineating the sources and amounts of the funds received and the specific use of such contributions: Provided further, That contributions of money for the purposes provided herein from any foreign government or other entity may be credited to this account, to remain available until September 30, 2026, and used for such purposes: Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense shall provide quarterly reports to the congressional defense committees on the use and status of funds made available in this section.

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Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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