The Pentagon “discovered” a $3 billion accounting “error” that will conveniently allow President Biden to send more weapons to Ukraine without, as the news and administration claim – the need to ask Congress. It is a particularly opportune “mistake” considering the ongoing debt ceiling battle.
Reuters reported on the alleged blunder late last week citing two sources – a Senate aide and a defense official – and confirmed by two other senior defense officials.
“We’ve discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we’ve given” to Ukraine one of the sources told the outlet.
“Changing the valuation of the equipment could delay the Biden administration’s need to ask Congress to authorize more funds for Ukraine as the debt ceiling fight intensifies,” Reuters writes.
The New York Times notes the convenience of such an error, revealing that the White House has been “resisting making an appeal for more funds” for Ukraine, stating it would be “awkward” to approach Congress while negotiating a deal on the debt ceiling.
The Associated Press describes it as “a boon for the war effort.”
The Pentagon overestimated the value of the weapons it sent to Ukraine by at least $3 billion — an accounting error that could be a boon for the war effort because it will allow the Defense Department to send more weapons without asking Congress for money. https://t.co/fqo3TEtc95
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 19, 2023
Skepticism Over Pentagon’s $3 Billion Error Benefitting Ukraine
There were some raised eyebrows over just how beautifully beneficial the Pentagon’s $3 billion error is for the Ukraine war effort, even among the America Last crowd that supports endless money to Ukraine.
Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, described it as an “attempt at deception” and said such mistakes undermine the effort to provide aid as that nation continues to try and hold off Russia.
“The Department of Defense’s change in evaluating the costs of arms sent to Ukraine is a major mistake,” Wicker (R-MS) said.
“Its effect would be to underestimate future needs for our European allies. Our priority should be a Ukrainian victory over Putin. Unilaterally altering military aid calculations is an attempt at deception and undermines this goal.”
How has this not received more attention?
“Pentagon Says Accounting Mistake Frees Up $3B More for Ukraine”
Biden admin. has been under bipartisan pressure to explain how it intended to continue sending weapons to Ukraine…w/o asking Congress for more?. https://t.co/ijzuwGE3XG
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) May 21, 2023
The Pentagon’s $3 billion accounting error is such a ridiculous means to circumvent Congress to provide further aid to Ukraine that even CNN anchor Jake Tapper was skeptical.
“There was this very bizarre admission from the Pentagon this week of an accounting error that suggested that the U.S. has at least $3 billion that it didn’t know it had that it can use for Ukraine aid,” Tapper prompted National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
“That’s a hell of an accounting error! And it provides a lot of fodder to critics of U.S. aid to Ukraine, and critics who say there’s not enough oversight going on.”
Jake Sullivan on the Pentagon’s $3 billion “accounting error” over Ukraine aid: “That is not money that went out the door and disappeared. That is not a waste of that $3 billion.” pic.twitter.com/b8s2BJE1JG
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 21, 2023
Sullivan indicated he wasn’t concerned because, “At the end of the day, not one penny of U.S. Dollars will have gone missing, or have been misallocated.”
That is a comment that will surely come back to bite him in the ass somewhere down the line. After all, the Pentagon is the government agency that has – more than once – “lost” trillions of dollars.
Still, Sullivan dismissed concerns and pivoted to celebrating the fact that the accounting error would benefit Ukraine.
“In the end, though, the Pentagon discovered the error. The Pentagon corrected the error. And Ukraine will get what it needs,” he boasted. “And the American taxpayer will be able to be confident that this money is being spent effectively and appropriately.”
The Pentagon made a $3 BILLION accounting error in valuing U.S. weapon aid to Ukraine.
“…Our national interest…is not in continuing to throw money at [Ukraine]. We need to be focused on our borders; we need to be focused on our economy; & we need to be focused on China.” pic.twitter.com/UVZICyRWzJ
— Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) May 19, 2023
RELATED: Inspector General: American Taxpayer Dollars, Aid Could Be Going to the Taliban
Pentagon Has Failed Every Audit That Has Ever Been Conducted
What’s that old saying – ‘Don’t pee on me and tell me it’s raining’? That’s what Sullivan effectively did right there.
He has the audacity to tell the American taxpayer that they can be confident their hard-earned money is being spent appropriately in Ukraine just one month after Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko testified to Congress that taxpayer money might be ending up with the Taliban.
“Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban,” he said in jarring testimony.
??
“As I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban.”
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko gives alarming testimony regarding U.S. funding in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/BfXl6F32Dq
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) April 19, 2023
But don’t you worry, peasants, while your gas and grocery prices are through the roof, you can rest assured that the crack staff at the Pentagon are taking good care of your money even as they pour it into one of the most corrupt nations on the planet.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon failed its fifth consecutive audit back in November, unable to account for more than half of its assets.
A recent video of comedian Jon Stewart interviewing Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks about the Pentagon’s $858 billion budget went viral, amassing over 10 million views.
Stewart challenged Hicks continually on alleged corruption at the Pentagon, resulting in her repeated condescending responses to his accusations.
Incredible clip.
Jon Stewart rips Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on the Pentagon’s inability to ever pass an audit.
As of last year, the DoD can’t account for 61% of their ~$3.5 Trillion in assets. pic.twitter.com/W9ZYF8T8UP
— Stephen Geiger (@Stephen_Geiger) April 10, 2023
“The ability to pass an audit or, the fact that the DoD has not passed an audit is not suggestive of waste, fraud, and abuse,” Hicks insisted during the exchange.
“If I give you a billion dollars and you can’t tell me what happened to it, that to me is wasteful,” countered Stewart.
$1 billion. $3 billion. $2 trillion. Who’s really counting? Certainly not the Pentagon. And certainly not Ukraine.
Think about that for a minute. Every time you go to the gas station or grocery store you have to balance out how much is being spent just to keep your vehicle fueled to get to work and to put food on the table for your family.
But the people freely spending your money don’t have to account for a damn thing.
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