The U.S. House Armed Services Committee on July 15 marked up and approved the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes an amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH) objecting to a pause in military aid to Ukraine instituted by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
The congressman says DOD’s action was taken without notifying the White House, the U.S. Department of State, or Congress.
According to media reports, the Pentagon earlier this month halted shipments of some air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine due to concerns that U.S. weapons stockpiles were too low.
Rep. Turner’s amendment states his belief that the DOD “unilaterally canceled or suspended planned shipments of critical offensive and defensive weapons to Ukraine without timely or adequate notification to the Commander-in-Chief, Congress, and operational commanders.
“The failure to provide prompt notice of such decisions undermines trust, transparency, and the United States’ ability to project reliability in support of partners engaged in active conflict now or in the future,” according to the amendment.
The House Armed Services Committee adopted Rep. Turner’s requirements that DOD provide to Congress a briefing addressing several items, including its “statutory authorities and regulations applicable to the review, pause, suspension, reallocation or cancellation of the delivery of defense articles that have been committed, but not yet transferred, to Ukraine.”
The briefing also should address DOD’s “plans to keep Congress fully and currently informed on any future review that might impact the provision of defense articles to Ukraine as well as any decision to pause, suspend, reallocate or cancel such deliveries,” the unanimously adopted amendment states.