Ukraine aid bill faces familiar Senate procedural obstacles

“My sympathies are with Ukraine, I wish them luck, I want them to defeat the Russians, I want them to push the Russians out of their country. But we also have to be concerned with our country and with double-digit inflation here, this will make it worse,” Paul said. “We can’t just shovel piles of money out the door and have nobody oversee it.”

On Wednesday, Paul said he’d object to a time agreement to expedite passage unless he can offer his amendment. “We actually would like it incorporated into the bill. It’s not a big ask,” Paul said. And he may have support from others such as John Kennedy, R-La., who introduced his own bill Wednesday to create a special inspector general’s office for Ukraine assistance.

Cargo preference

Ernst’s issue stems from a 1954 law that governs waterborne cargo “procured, furnished or financed” by the U.S. government. The law stipulates that at least 50 percent of the gross tonnage of agricultural and other shipments be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels, but Ernst said there are a grand total of four such ships that currently exist.

“There are over 12,000 vessels worldwide that meet the specifications, but we can’t use them,” she said. “It’s going to cost more to transport the food than the food is actually worth.”

Ernst is working on a temporary waiver of the shipping requirements for food aid to Ukraine and other countries in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere that are experiencing food access issues as a result of the conflict.