The Biden administration announced on Monday a new lethal aid package for Ukraine totaling about $1.7 billion and largely consisting of missiles and ammunition for missile, artillery and air defense systems the US has previously provided to Ukraine.
The US is committing $1.5 billion in new weapons and equipment to Ukraine through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which will include “capabilities to augment Ukraine’s air defenses, fires, and anti-tank weapons, as well as funding to sustain equipment previously committed by the United States,” according to a Defense Department news release.
The Defense Department is also sending Ukraine up to $200 million worth of weapons and equipment directly from US Department of Defense stockpiles via Presidential Drawdown Authority, which includes “air defense interceptors; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; and anti-tank weapons,” according to the news release.
I wish we could spend $1,700,000,000.00 on healthcare reform for the US citizens. No disrespect to Ukrainians intended at all
Completely irrelevant. Single payer healthcare costs less than our current system. We can’t have healthcare reform not because we fund other causes but because the political power of those who benefit from a corrupt privatized healthcare system is too strong.
Specifically the US is already spending more federal tax dollars on healthcare, per capita, than the UK is spending on the NHS.
Now the NHS is underfunded but imagine what the US could afford in terms of healthcare quality and availability if you add what Americans are currently paying to their insurances on top of that.
And the inefficiencies aren’t just capitalist grift, btw: It’s also that the US system, systemically, does not do prevention. Lots of ER visits could be avoided if people wouldn’t have to fear bankruptcy when they go to a regular check-up, but noone gets turned down at the ER and noone can afford the bills so hospitals get stuck with the bills and the government has to bail them out. That’s where a huge chunk of that federal money is flowing, next to medicare and medicaid, which both cost way more than they should because aforementioned grift, and lobbyist-written laws enabling that grift.
The USA spent $4,700,000,000,000 on healthcare last year. I doubt 0.036% of that would make much difference.
It’s only $5 a person so…
I’d pay $5 to send a bullet to a Russian.