Today Bring Our Troops Home, a national organization of veterans of the Global War on Terror, praised the votes of Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar and Debbie Lesko in opposition to the $40 billion aid package to Ukraine. They were three of only 57 members of the House of Representatives, all Republicans, who dissented from President Joe Biden’s military escalation against Russia.
“Congressmen Biggs (R-Gilbert), Gosar (R-North Phoenix), and Lesko (R-Peoria) realize that every penny spent in that bill is a betrayal to the American people,” said Sgt. Dan McKnight, chairman of Bring Our Troops Home. “America’s veterans are grateful there are still elected officials who like us remember their sacred oath of public service.”
McKnight is a 13-year veteran of the U.S. military, with service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, U.S. Army and Idaho National Guard, including an 18-month combat tour in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007. He founded Bring Our Troops Home in 2019.
"We are witnessing the worst inflationary crisis in over 40 years, a hardship caused by overspending and artificial money creation. Our children are set to inherit a national debt approaching $30.5 trillion. And the Biden administration’s response is to spend another $40 billion we don't have to defend a country we have no alliance with," McKnight said. "Reps. Biggs, Gosar and Lesko did the conscientious thing and voted against looting the public treasury.”
This bill, which includes $54 million allocated for public health in Ukraine, significant relief for Ukrainian refugees, and a $17 million discrentionary fund for President Biden, is in addition to the over $14 billion Congress already appropriated for Ukraine since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24. That amount includes economic, humanitarian and military aid, although over half of the new $40 billion package is intended for weapons purchases and other related material.
"In less than three months we'll have given the Ukrainian government more money than the average annual amount we spent in Afghanistan. Any plausible savings since last September's conclusion of our longest war has been flushed down in Eastern Europe," explained McKnight. "American dollars would be better spent here in the United States; better yet, left in the hands of the American people."
Congressman Biggs of Gilbert is a signer of the War Powers Protection Pledge, and has forsworn support of U.S. military engagement in any war not declared by Congress. Congressman Gosar is the only sitting member of the U.S. House who has endorsed "Defend the Guard" legislation, which would prohibit the deployment of Arizona's National Guard into active combat without a declaration of war by Congress.
Bring Our Troops Home commits itself to working with Reps. Biggs, Gosar and Lesko to end U.S. involvement in unnecessary wars and restore a foreign policy befitting a limited-government republic.
