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EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Nehls, House Republicans Demand Answers From Biden Over Decision To Send U.S. Tanks To Ukraine

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Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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Texas Rep. Troy Nehls and a group of House Republicans sent a letter Friday to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding answers over their decision to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

The letter, first obtained by the Daily Caller, was signed by three other House Republicans — Reps. Paul Gosar and Eli Crane of Arizona and Lauren Boebert of Colorado. In it, the lawmakers express concerns about the recently announced deployment of 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. The lawmakers say the decision creates several logistical challenges, specifically that it will take several months to train Ukrainian forces to operate the tanks and that it will take another take several months to get the tanks onto the battlefield.

The Republicans also mention comments from Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, nothing that both “recommended against sending M1 tanks to Ukraine.”

They also cite Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl’s concerns about the policy. “The Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment. It’s expensive. It’s hard to train on. It has a jet engine. I think it’s about three gallons to the mile of jet fuel. It is not the easiest system to maintain,” the letter quotes him as saying on Jan. 18.

“Each M1 Abrams tank costs approximately $9 million to build, and to date, Ukrainian aid and security packages have totaled over $97 billion,” the Republican lawmakers wrote in the letter.

Here Are The Questions Asked In The Letter: 

  • What actions will you take to ensure that our military equipment is not falling into the hands of criminal networks, terrorists, or being sold for profit? Likewise, in what capacities will the White House and Department of Defense maintain that our military equipment and vehicles are operated safely by Ukrainian military officials and returned to the United States following their use?
  • How does the Department of Defense and Department of State track and account for military-grade weapons, military supplies, and American taxpayer dollars supplied to Ukraine forces or allies in defense against the Russian invasion?
  • How does your administration plan to account for the loss and destruction of any U.S. military security assistance items and reimburse the American taxpayers?

READ THE LETTER HERE:

(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers

“The American people did not elect us to continually spend their hard-earned taxpayer dollars ($97 billion and counting) into a conflict halfway around the world without demonstrating the ability to properly track the end use of weapons, ammunition, armored vehicles, and all other forms of security assistance that has been deployed,” Nehls told the Caller before sending the letter. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans Introduce Legislation Auditing Ukraine Spending)

“It is shameful that the United States is continuing to subsidize the ongoing conflict in Ukraine while the Biden administration is turning a blind eye to our own border communities and domestic national security posture,” Nehls continued. “[S]ending tanks into an unstable warzone creates several logistical challenges, further escalates the conflict, and undermines our own national security. It is past time that the Biden administration is held accountable for their actions.” (RELATED: Ukraine Sets Sights On Western Fighter Jets Immediately After Securing Tanks)

The lawmakers called for a response to their questions by Feb. 15, 2023.

The White House and DOD did not immediately respond to the Caller’s inquiries about the letter.