A bipartisan Senate Armed Services Committee took the Pentagon's senior leaders to task April 7 for what some described as a half-hearted approach to helping Ukraine against Russia. At a hearing on the FY 2023 budget, senators - not entirely Republicans - applauded the military’s aid to Ukraine but insisted DoD could do more. The senators questioned why the administration has not yet spent two-thirds of the money Congress appropriated last month for Ukraine. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) asked witnesses why the administration has spent just $900M of $3B provided in a recent military aid to Ukraine. “Does the administration not want to send it yet?” Wicker asked. “Is it not available yet? Are there throughput problems at the Pentagon? And how do we fix these problems to get our friends in Ukraine the equipment, the weaponry they need to defeat the Russians?” In another sign of bipartisanism, the Senate passed by voice vote on April 6 a bill by Democrats Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republicans Wicker and John Cornyn of Texas that would streamline the process for lending and leasing weapons to Ukraine. (Source: Roll Call 04/07/22 Senators say Pentagon must do more to help Ukraine defeat Russia - Roll Call
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