Washington, DC – Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the “Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022.” Introduced by Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Mike Waltz (R-FL) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), the bill temporarily waives certain requirements related to the President’s authority to lend or lease defense articles if the defense articles are intended for Ukraine’s government or the governments of other Eastern European countries affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Rep. Cheney issued the following statement following passage:
“The United States must take decisive action to aid Ukraine in their fight against Putin’s brutal invasion. I’m proud to join Senator Cornyn and Rep. Wilson in passing this critical legislation to ensure the United States can provide equipment and armaments to the Ukrainian people without delay.”
BACKGROUND:
As part of the President’s Arms Export Control Act, the President can currently lend and lease defense articles to U.S. partners and allies when it is in the United States’ national security interest. However, bureaucratic barriers and other limitations make these authorities impractical for the current crisis facing Ukraine.
The legislation will bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities and help protect its civilians from the ongoing Russian military invasion, while supporting the broader national security concerns of the United States.
This bicameral bill serves as a companion to the version introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and passed in the Senate earlier this month.
Original source can be found here.
