Fact check: Post misleads comparing funding for Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel to Mississippi water crisis

Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY
·5 min read
2

Corrections & Clarifications: This story was updated March 24 to accurately describe the nature of U.S. aid given to Taiwan in recent years. This update does not affect the rating for this item.

The claim: The US gave funding to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan but not Mississippi

A March 1 Facebook post (direct link, archived link) shows purported U.S. funding for a state and three outside entities.

The post reads:

"USA to Ukraine: 'here's $8,000,000,000'

USA to Israel: 'here's $3,3000,000,000'

USA to Taiwan: 'here’s $1,000,000,000'

USA to Mississippi: 'don't drink the water.'"

The post garnered more than 700 shares in eight days.

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Our rating: Partly false

Contrary to the post’s claim, Mississippi has received millions in federal funds to address a long-term water crisis. The post is correct that the U.S. has set aside billions in aid for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel, according to experts.

Jackson, Mississippi, did receive federal funds to resolve water crisis

In August 2022, Jackson, Mississippi, faced a water crisis after excessive rainfall and flooding caused water treatment pumps to fail at a Jackson plant, as USA TODAY reported. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced a state of emergency and alerted Jackson residents not to drink tap water.

But contrary to the post’s claim, the city did receive federal funds to address the crisis.

Jackson received $5 million to address the city's water needs from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, according to an October 2022 press release. President Joe Biden also signed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 2022, which included $20 million to support Jackson.

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Congress also approved a $1.7 trillion omnibus bill in December 2022 that allocated $600 million from the Environmental Protection Agency for Jackson’s water systems, the Associated Press reported.

After Jackson was hit with another water crisis in January, the mayor announced that roughly $800 million in federal funds had been secured for the city's water systems. This included the $600 million from the omnibus bill, $120 million in Water Resource and Development Act funding and more than $71 million in American Rescue Act Plan funds, according to WLBT-TV.

International aid given to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

The U.S. has approved billions in assistance for the three countries referenced.

The Ukraine figure stems from a July 2022 Department of Defense fact sheet that says the U.S. had committed about $8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Biden took office.

The vast majority of that assistance to Ukraine is direct deliveries of arms and equipment from Defense Department inventories, according to the State Department spokesperson. Part of that $8 billion total also included $322 million in Foreign Military Financing grant assistance to Ukraine, which it used to purchase equipment from the U.S.

Israel receives $3.3 billion annually in Foreign Military Financing grant assistance under a 10-year memorandum of understanding, according to a State Department spokesperson. The funding, however, goes almost exclusively to purchase needed arms, equipment or training from the U.S.

"The money does not literally 'go' to a country – it sits in a Treasury account and is drawn out as the partner purchases arms and equipment," a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY.

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The amount listed for Taiwan is also correct, though it references just one type of aid among several.

Congress allocated $1 billion in arms transfers – also called presidential drawdown authority – directly to Taiwan as part of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, according to Defense News.

Drawdown authority "is Congress telling the executive it can send a partner/ally stuff already sitting in our warehouses/storage depots," Michael Hunzeker, a Taiwan defense and foreign policy expert, told USA TODAY. "No quid pro quo required."

The 2023 act also includes $2 billion in loans and an additional $2 billion in loan guarantees for Taiwan, which Taiwan is expected to pay back, according to an administration official.

Separately, the U.S. also approved a more than $1 billion arms sale to Taiwan in September 2022 amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China. But Taiwan purchased this equipment with its own funds, Kuo said.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Post off the mark on funding for Mississippi water crisis