RFK Jr. blasts U.S. government for its "addiction to war" following $24B aid request for Ukraine

By lauraharris // 2023-08-29

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Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has blasted the U.S. government's "addiction to war" after Washington requested billions of dollars worth of additional aid package for Ukraine. During an Aug. 22 townhall in South Carolina, he pointed out that this "addiction" of the federal government – alongside the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war – is a major contributor to America's current economic problems. "One of the big problems we have in our federal government is the addiction to war," RFK Jr. told the crowd. "We've spent $8 trillion dollars on wars since 9/11. If we kept that money home, we would've had childcare for every American; we would have free college education for every American; we'd be able to pay for our Social Security system." According to a Fox News report, President Joe Biden requested for a new tranche of Ukraine-bound assistance amounting to $24 billion. Of this amount, $13 billion will be used for defense purposes and the additional $11 billion will be earmarked for economic and humanitarian aid. But according to RFK Jr., the nation should be redirecting resources toward domestic priorities instead. The environment and health freedom advocate, who has expressed intentions to challenge Biden in the upcoming Democratic primaries, has consistently advocated for peace negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine. He called for direct communication with Russia and Ukraine to reach a peaceful resolution. RFK Jr. also invoked the words of former President John F. Kennedy, his uncle, regarding the importance of keeping the U.S. out of wars. (Related: PROXY WAR: RFK Jr. says the West provoked Putin to invade Ukraine.) "We have made no effort to talk to the Russian leadership for many, many months, almost a year. And there have been many efforts by the Russian leadership to engage Ukraine in peace negotiations. And we have rebuffed these."

GOP lawmakers: NO MORE aid for Ukraine

According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Congress had previously authorized $113.1 billion for Ukraine in 2022. But now, Republican lawmakers have called for an end to Kyiv-bound aid, mirroring RFK Jr.'s stance on the matter. According to them, Washington has already provided enough since last year. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a vocal critic of aid packages to Ukraine, rebuked Biden as being "totally out of step with the American people." "By plowing billions more of our taxpayer dollars into a war in Europe, Joe Biden is sending a clear signal that Ukraine takes priority over securing our southern border, deterring China in the Pacific and getting costs down for working families at home," he said. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, echoing his colleague's sentiments, called for rigorous scrutiny of the additional spending request. He emphasized the need to focus on domestic issues, stressing that the U.S. cannot shoulder the responsibility alone and that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries should also contribute their fair share. "We have real work to do here at home. The U.S. has doubled what other NATO countries have contributed – combined," stated Barrasso. "Our NATO allies need to step up because the U.S. will not shoulder this alone." The debate surrounding the allocation of funds to Ukraine has led to legislative efforts aimed at restricting aid. Several congressmen, including Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, have proposed measures to curtail funding for Kyiv until specific conditions – such as securing the southern border – are met. "We fought wars for decades in the Middle East because oil companies had their hooks in the Bushes," said Gaetz. "Now, we plow arms and cash into the homeland of the Burisma Biden bribers. No thanks." Visit BigGovernment.news for more stories about the federal government's "addiction to war." Watch this video about NATO preparing for war to "save Ukraine." This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

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GOP lawmakers: NO MORE aid for Ukraine

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