POLITICO reported last month that the White House was switching up its messaging after running into continued resistance on Capitol Hill, after determining that selling the war funding effort based on national security wasn’t changing minds.
Pentagon Backs Up Biden's Claim That Arming Ukraine Helps The U.S. Economy
US funding for Ukraine arms has poured into Pennsylvania, Arizona and Texas
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration has been circulating on Capitol Hill the first breakdown of which U.S. states have benefited from the billions of dollars spent on arming Ukraine, in a move to gather more support from Republicans who have voted against aid for Kyiv.
While three of the eight Republican members of Congress from Pennsylvania have been voting against funding to help stop Russia's invasion, the data shows the Keystone State has received $2.364 billion - the most of any state - in spending and investments to build arms and ammunition, according to documents seen by Reuters.
In Texas, 18 of the 25 Republican U.S. representatives have voted against Ukraine aid. At the same time, Texas has received $1.45 billion to produce 155 millimeter shells and other weapons. In Arizona, three of six Republican representatives voted against aid while $2.196 billion poured into the state.
During his latest request for $106 billion in new funds for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region and border enforcement, U.S. President Joe Biden on Oct. 20 emphasized that arms for Ukraine equals jobs for Americans.
He noted some of the money would go to U.S. companies to replace equipment sent abroad and mentioned Patriot missile systems that are made by RTX's Raytheon in Arizona, and "artillery shells manufactured in 12 states across the country," naming Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas.
Pennsylvania and Arizona are pivotal swing states that will be critical to Biden next year.
In recent days the administration has circulated maps among lawmakers on Capitol Hill showcasing the state-by-state breakdown for the $27 billion worth of investments, and spending on "munitions and tactical vehicle procurements."
A vocal bloc of Republicans has opposed sending aid to Ukraine, saying taxpayer money should be spent at home, but a majority of Republicans and Democrats in Congress still support aid to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government.
Companies in four states on the Biden administration's map - Arizona, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Wisconsin - are home to manufacturing facilities that are collectively receiving contracts totaling more than $1 billion for their products that aid Ukraine. Another $18 billion in contracts is spread around manufacturing facilities located in more than two dozen other states.
The conservative Defending Democracy Together group's "Republicans for Ukraine" campaign has been tracking Republican rhetoric and voting patterns on Ukraine aid legislation. A report card by the group gave "poor" or "very poor" grades to 18 of 25 Republican representatives from Texas for their lack of support for Ukraine. It gave "poor" or "very poor" grades to two of Wisconsin's six Republican representatives, to one of Arkansas' four Republican representatives and to three of Pennsylvania's eight Republican representatives.
Still, further aid for Ukraine has a hard road ahead. In his first major legislative act as Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson introduced a bill addressing Biden's request for aid to Israel, separating it from Ukraine and other needs.
Johnson told a news conference before the November Congressional recess, "Ukraine will come in short order. It will come next."
Yet Johnson voted against Ukraine aid repeatedly before he became speaker last month. House Democrats have overwhelmingly voted in favor of the 2022 and 2023 Ukraine-related supplemental spending bills.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Chris Sanders and Matthew Lewis)
Reuters: US Ukraine aid brought major investments to Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania
The White House has been highlighting the financial benefits of arming Ukraine to individual U.S. states to muster Republican support for further aid, Reuters reported on Nov. 28.
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration reportedly circulated documents showcasing $27 billion worth of investments and spending on arms production to each state.
The documents, seen by Reuters, show that the aid brought $2.36 billion to Pennsylvania, where three of the eight Republican Congress members voted against the support.
Pennsylvania, Arizona & Texas take $1.45 billion+ each from of UA aid, which others have benefitted?
U.S. To bolster support from Republicans who have opposed the continuation of military aid to Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has highlighted the advantages received by various states through American military assistance to Ukraine, Reuters reported on Nov. 29.
$27 billion was distributed among states in the form of investments, the administration announced. These funds were expended by the White House on the procurement of ammunition and transportation for the U.S. military and its allies.
Read also: Senate Democrats block aid to Israel separately from Ukraine
According to the map, obtained by POLITICO, Pennsylvania has received $2.364 billion in investments to build munitions and tactical vehicles for Ukraine, the most of any state. Meanwhile, Arizona is a close second with $2.259 billion. Texas and Arkansas received $1.449 billion and $1.478
In total, the states have enjoyed more than $27 billion in investments from arming Ukraine, according to the graphic, the existence of which was first reported by Reuters.
After this story was published, the Defense Department posted an updated version of the map, and other briefing slides showing breakdowns of specific weapons totals.
“As Department of Defense leaders have said previously, support for Ukraine has mobilized the U.S. defense industrial base, in ways that haven’t been seen in decades,” DOD spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen said in a statement when asked for comment. “Our industry partners all across the nation have stepped up to meet the kind of production, manufacturing and infrastructure investment capabilities to directly support U.S. commitments to Ukraine — and that will build the kind of industrial base capacity we need for the future.”
The administration last month sent lawmakers the supplemental request, which includes money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and border security. While congressional bickering has delayed the bill’s passage, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised to vote on it as soon as the week of Dec. 4.
Resistance to further Ukraine aid has grown among House Republicans, with some lawmakers turning against new funding over concerns about the proposal’s price tag and the endgame of the conflict.
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