Wilson’s ‘Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022’ Becomes Law
Washington, D.C.– Today, President Joe Biden signed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 into law. Introduced by Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, along with Co-Chairman Steve Cohen (D-TN), the law enhances the President's current lend and lease authority to simplify bureaucratic barriers with regards to military equipment for Ukraine or other Eastern European countries affected by Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
The scope of this law is limited to materials for use in protecting civilians during the current war criminal Putin invasion, and the broader national security concerns of the United States.
The bill served as a companion to the Senate version introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
"I am grateful to have introduced this bipartisan bill which was overwhelmingly supported by my fellow colleagues in Congress and quickly signed into law by President Biden. We join the civilized world in being horrified by the mass murder with indiscriminate slaughter of untold thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers at the hands of war criminal Putin.
"In order to combat the invasion, this law further responds to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's urgent request for access to U.S. weapons and other defense articles.
"As a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and Co-Chairman and founder of the European Union Caucus, it is reassuring, and incredible that Putin has unintentionally energized NATO and the EU to stop aggression now.
"Putin's attack on sovereign Ukraine has united the world in its resolve against corrupt authoritarians and in admiration for the Ukrainian people. America is in a conflict of democracy with rule of law opposed by authoritarians with rule of gun with the current attack on Ukraine, then the possible Chinese Communist Party attack on Taiwan, as Iran threatens to vaporize Israel, as India is destabilized.
"The U.S., along with our valued allies, must continue to supply Ukraine with the military equipment they need to repel this attack, and this law expedites and expands that process," said Rep. Wilson.
Background:
As part of the President's Arms Export Control Act, the President can currently lend and lease defense articles to U.S. partners and allies when it is in the United States' national security interest. However, bureaucratic barriers and other limitations made these authorities impractical for the current crisis facing Ukraine.