A transpartisan coalition of groups calling itself โ€œโ€‹โ€‹a diverse network of transparency and advocacy organizationsโ€ sent a letter to Senate leaders on Wednesday urging them โ€œto take steps to ensure that all U.S. aid to Ukraine is subject to independent oversight,โ€ primarily by confirming permanent inspectors general at the Departments of Defense and State.

Since Russia launched its invasion in late February, Congress has approved more than $50 billion in humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine with, as the New York Times noted, โ€œthe leaders of both parties rais[ing] few questions about how much money was being spent or what it would be used for.โ€

Many are also worried that American weapons sent to Ukraine may end up in the wrong hands. Indeed, referring to so-called โ€œSwitchbladeโ€ drones the United States is supplying Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official said last month that the Defense Department doesnโ€™t know where they are or whether theyโ€™re being used. โ€œTheyโ€™re not telling us every round of ammunition theyโ€™re firing [at] who and at when. We may never know exactly to what degree theyโ€™ve using the Switchblades,โ€ the official said.

The dozen groups that signed the letter to Congress โ€” which include Public Citizen, Taxpayers for Common Sense, and the Quincy Institute โ€” say that โ€œthe sheer magnitude and speed at which the federal government is sending aid calls for robust oversight in terms of both spending and monitoring its use.โ€

The letter comes just days after 22 House Republicans sent a letter to President Biden expressing โ€œgrave concern about the lack of oversight and accountability for the money and weapons recently approved by Congress for Ukraine,โ€ adding that โ€œthis money has not been tracked in any meaningful way nor have the American people or elected officials been informed of its effectiveness or use.โ€

The groups said Sen. Rand Paulโ€™s proposal to place such monitoring in the already existing Special Inspector General of Afghanistan Reconstruction โ€” given its expertise and oversight experience โ€” is โ€œreasonable.โ€ But they worry such efforts will delay needed aid to Ukraine. Theyโ€™re also concerned that Sen. John Kennedyโ€™s proposal to create a new โ€œSIGARโ€ for Ukraine has deficiencies in transparency and oversight.

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โ€œTherefore,โ€ the groups say, โ€œwe encourage youโ€”first and foremostโ€”to confirm Rob Storch to be the inspector general at the Department of Defense, and to call on the administration to nominate an inspector general for the Department of State.โ€

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