Presidential Drawdown Authority: Guidance Should Reflect Expanded Use

What GAO Found

Since 2022, the President, with special authority from Congress, has greatly expanded the use of Presidential Drawdown authority (PDA). This authority is used to provide defense items from Department of Defense (DOD) inventories, such as ammunition and missiles, and services to foreign partners—especially Ukraine. From fiscal year 2022 to 2024, Congress used its authority to add billions of dollars to the $100 million yearly ceiling for PDA. From October 2021 through January 2025, the President authorized the drawdown of $31.7 billion of defense articles and services to Ukraine, and also used PDA to authorize more than a billion dollars in assistance to Taiwan and Haiti.

In doing so, DOD and State have generally followed Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) steps for developing these PDA packages for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Haiti; however, GAO identified some gaps in guidance. Specifically, GAO found that DOD has not conducted Operations and Maintenance (O&M) budget impact assessments for the 21 packages GAO reviewed. These assessments have previously identified the adverse impact of diverting funds from other activities to support PDA packages. DOD guidance did not identify the purpose or specific elements of these assessments. In a 2016 report, GAO made a recommendation directing the Secretaries of the military departments to develop guidance that assigns responsibility for the preparation of O&M budget impact assessments and includes direction on how such assessments should be conducted as part of drawdown planning. However, the military services have not yet implemented this recommendation. Absence of this guidance may prevent DOD officials from making fully informed decisions, potentially depriving decision-makers of information about impacts of PDA packages on the services’ O&M budgets.

While replacement funding is not traditionally provided to replace defense articles and services provided to partners through PDA, Congress occasionally appropriates funding for this purpose. DOD officials said they consider replacement needs when choosing equipment to provide to Ukraine. Since the start of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, DOD has received $45.8 billion to replace equipment provided to Ukraine using PDA.

Status of Obligations of Funds by Year of Supplemental Appropriation for Replacement of Defense Articles Sent to Ukraine as of November 2024 (dollars in billions)

According to DOD officials, as of February 2025, DOD had planned to obligate all the remaining $45.8 billion of replacement funding and would require an additional appropriation to replace some defense articles and services previously included in drawdown packages for Ukraine. The replacement funding was a part of the five Ukraine supplemental appropriation acts, which provided $174.2 billion to help combat Russian aggression and to preserve Ukraine’s territorial integrity. DOD has not developed guidance that accounts for the potential that the services will need to replace defense articles provided through PDA, but DOD officials told us a draft instruction may do so. Adjusting or developing new guidance on using funds available to replace DOD equipment provided to partners through PDA would help ensure U.S. military services do not face greater than anticipated readiness impact.

Why GAO Did This Study

While presidents have used PDA numerous times since 1961, the way PDA has been used for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022 is unprecedented. This report is one of several engagements we initiated in response to a provision included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which provided resources for us to exercise oversight of the funding provided in the Ukraine supplemental appropriations acts. Further, a House Report accompanying the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, 2024, included a provision asking GAO to review DOD’s execution of PDA and related funding and notifications since February 24, 2022.