President Joe Biden is contemplating a supplementary request of around $100 billion, encompassing defense aid for both Israel and Ukraine, border security funding, and assistance to nations in the Indo-Pacific, notably Taiwan, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Biden has vowed support for Israel in the aftermath of a recent lethal attack by Hamas, a group labeled a terrorist organization by the US and EU. Aid for Israel garners widespread bipartisan backing in the US Congress.
In contrast, assistance for Ukraine has encountered challenges in winning favor among House Republicans. A group of lawmakers advocating for increased aid to Kyiv recently proposed that the administration pursue a combined aid package for both Israel and Ukraine, with the aim of overcoming Republican resistance.
The inclusion of border security funding in the package is also intended to secure support from Republican members of Congress who have historically linked additional foreign aid to addressing the issue of migrant influx into the US.
An insider familiar with the administration’s efforts to formulate the request noted that package details were still under development and emphasized that the allocated amount would cover an entire fiscal year. In contrast, the prior request from the White House, which included $24 billion for Ukraine, only covered a three-month period.
However, any White House request must await the House’s election of a new speaker, following Kevin McCarthy’s removal from the post. The House must first address any spending measures, but legislative business cannot proceed until Republicans rally behind a new speaker.
The comprehensive nature and size of the package are expected to face resistance in the House, where GOP divisions over spending cuts and foreign aid have factored into the speaker selection process.
Representative Jim Jordan, the frontrunner for the next speaker, has expressed skepticism about providing additional aid to Ukraine. Conservative House members have insisted that an aid package for Israel should not be tied to further assistance for Kyiv. Jordan has given conflicting signals on Ukraine in recent days, suggesting that additional aid may require enhanced oversight.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer anticipates the administration will submit the request by the end of the week. He indicated that it would encompass military, diplomatic, intelligence, and humanitarian aid for Israel, emphasizing the urgency of moving the supplementary package swiftly due to the pressing needs in both Israel and Ukraine.
{Matzav.com}
not gonna work – Ukraine got enough $$$$$$$$$$$$ already
Israel needs much more to defeat the TERRORISTS of the world