It’s no secret that a large portion of U.S. taxpayer dollars go to things that many Americans don’t agree with.
When we give money to help people overseas, some of it ends up in the pockets of foreign leaders.
But this new report shows that billions are not going where the American public expects it.
U.S. is funding small businesses in Ukraine
Working Americans are on the frontline of an economic war, battling everything from high inflation and high interest rates to a housing market on the verge of collapse.
But that fact doesn’t seem to faze the U.S. government, especially after a recent report on CBS News’ show 60 Minutes revealed something shocking.
According to the report, the U.S. has given approximately $25 billion of non-military aid to Ukraine’s economy, which is in addition to the $43 billion in military aid that has already been sent since February 2022.
Some of that money has been given to help prop up small businesses, including a designer knitwear company located in Ukraine’s capital.
Tatiana Abramova, the owner of the knitwear company, told CBS News, “Especially in the condition of war, we have to work. We have to pay taxes, we have to pay wage, salary to our employees. We have to work, don’t stop.”
But what about the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are struggling to find decent-paying, stable jobs, and affordable housing?
As Abramova told the network, “Economy is the foundation of everything,” but in the meantime, Americans are being neglected in the homeland.
Not only did Abramova’s business receive U.S. funds, but the United States Agency for International Development also helped her find customers overseas.
The knitwear company employs over 70 people, and Abramova said, “We realize that it’s the aid from the government, but it’s the aid from the heart of every ordinary American person.”
Yet while Abramova says she feels “grateful” and “great” about getting the funds, everyday Americans are struggling hard to make ends meet.
A Sunday Bloomberg report found that inflation has “cooled down” from a year ago, but Americans are still having a hard time paying for things like gas and groceries.
The cost of food, car insurance, gasoline, and other essentials is still high, even after two years of persistent interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.
An egregious use of funds
Currently, the rate of core inflation in the United States stands at a staggering 4.3%.
Meanwhile, the U.S. aid is funding not just small businesses in Ukraine, but also seeds and fertilizers for Ukrainian farmers and paying for the salaries of 57,000 Ukrainian first responders.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that sending the money to Ukraine was a “great deal for America.”
However, it’s quite likely that most American taxpayers would disagree with that assessment.
Graham’s statement only highlights the disconnect between voters and lawmakers as Americans struggle to get by in Joe Biden’s economy.
Yet Graham told CBS News, “Here’s what we’ve gotten for our investment. We haven’t lost one soldier. We reduced the combat power of the Russian army by 50%, and not one of us has died in that endeavor.”
According to the CBS News report, American officials are investigating four criminal cases involving non-military aid, as well as 170 Ukrainian government officials who have been charged in corruption cases this year.
Even worse, the Biden administration is asking Congress to approve an additional $24 billion in aid, bringing the total to $135 billion since the war with Russia began.
