The House on Saturday overwhelmingly passed a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, with less than half of Republicans agreeing with Democrats to support the plan.
But before that vote, Rep. Matt Gaetz tried to put that spending into context.
At a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, the Fort Walton Beach Republican asked the top Marine Corps general over manpower a question about the service’s budget.
Related: Georgia Rep. MTG Blasts Passage Of Ukraine Aid Package “Despicable!”
Lt. Gen. James Glynn said the overall budget for the Marines is about $50 billion.
Gaetz floated the idea of doubling the Corps’ budget while nothing Congress was ready to spend $61 billion to support Ukraine, which left Glynn flat-footed.
“It’s not an offer I get very frequently,” he responded to chuckles from the audience.
“The $50 billion we spend on the United States Marine Corps is a tremendous investment, and I know that because we have Marines who work in our office and throughout our district, and we’re incredibly proud of them,” said Gaetz.
Gaetz then pointed out some “really insulting” items in the Ukraine funding measure.
For example, it contained $300 million for “anti-narcotics efforts” in Ukraine.
“We’re about to proceed on a bill that does nothing to protect Americans from the narcos in Mexico, the Northern Triangle [in Central America], and in this country, but we got $300 million to go fight the narcos in Ukraine,” said Gaetz.
Related: Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Colleagues Rip Democrats For Waving Ukrainian Flags On U.S. House Floor
Gaetz then mentioned another $250 million for the International Development Association, a World Bank organization that funds efforts in Third World countries.
One of them, as the Tampa Free Press reported last week is Niger, where the Biden administration has halted diplomatic overflights that the Defense Department once relied on to deliver fresh reinforcements, medical supplies, equipment, mail, and other regular materials to an estimated 1,000 U.S. troops deployed there.
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