Members Fail Their Constituents on Ukraine

Real Clear Opinion Research conducted a poll of 1,000 registered voters released in July 2023 that shows a disconnect between what voters want and what their elected officials are doing.

While some of the Ukraine aid comes from military spending, and other portions come from emergency spending measures, the U.S. has sent at least $137 billion  in total aid to Ukraine since February 25, 2022, according to Stephen Semler, co-founder of Security Policy Reform Institute. The Washington Post calculates the amount of aid a little differently, reaching a total of $66.2 billion since the start of the war in Ukraine. Further, the Council on Foreign Relations calculates it to be $76.8 billion as of May 31, 2023.  However you slice it, there remains a large gap between the policies that members of Congress and the Biden administration are pursuing in relation to what U.S. voters want.

While Real Clear Polling found that 37 percent of Republicans thought that the amount of U.S. aid being sent to Ukraine was too much, it’s only the far-right of Republicans in Congress who support cutting aid to Ukraine. Amendments to the NDAA put forward by Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL) both failed in mid-July, with 130 to 150 Republicans striking them down. Republican leadership in the Senate, meanwhile, has continued to support the unprecedented levels of aid being given to Ukraine. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell delivered remarks on June 12, 2023 arguing that aid to Ukraine is an investment in America’s security. Conversely, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has taken the opposite route thus far, stating that the House has no intentions of taking up further legislation to continue boosting aid to Ukraine.

Republican politicians, therefore, seem to skew strongly towards supporting the continuation of sending aid to Ukraine, with a minority in opposition. This seems to be in direct opposition to what Republican voters want in Real Clear polling, with about a third of Republican voters believing that spending on the military is too high, which includes sending aid to Ukraine.

Similarly, a majority of Democrats (52 percent) believe that spending on the military is too high. This also stands in direct opposition to what Senate Democrats are doing, as it regards sending aid to Ukraine. The Democratic-controlled Senate passed the NDAA to the tune of a whopping $886 billion Pentagon budget. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is one of the few Democratic-aligned voices in opposition to such military spending, and is seemingly aligned with a majority of Democratic voters on the issue. As he points out, this budget is larger than the that of the next 10 countries combined. Senator Sanders was only one of just 11 senators to vote against the NDAA and its unprecedented budget. This shortlist includes members of both parties and includes Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The disconnect between Democratic voters and Democratic elected officials is also stark in this regard.

This is only a fraction of what Real Clear Polling data revealed on American voters’ attitudes on a slew of issues. However, when it comes to the role and budget of the military, the divide between voter’s desires and what their elected officials are supporting and pursuing could not be greater.

Sam Fouad is an editor at RCDefense and a PhD candidate at The Catholic University of America.