The package includes $12 billion to replenish federal disaster funds locally after a deadly hot season and series of storms, plus funds to beef up enforcement on the southern border, including money to stem the flow of fentanyl. The package is 40,000 million dollars in total.
While the previous White House supplemental spending request to fund Ukraine passed easily in 2022 despite reservations from Republicans, there is a different dynamic this time around.
Political division on the issue has been growing, with the Republican majority in the House of Representatives facing enormous pressure to show support for party leader Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism about the war. And American support for this issue has been waning little by little.
The White House budget director, Shalanda Young, sent a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy asking for prompt action to fulfill the “commitment to the defense of the Ukrainian people of their homeland and to democracy in everyone”, as well as other needs.
The request was drafted in part to garner support from Republicans as well as Democrats, especially with increasing national funding for border issues, a top GOP priority. Republicans have been highly critical of the federal government’s stance on stemming the flow of migrants across the southern border.
Either way, the $40 billion amount could prove too much for Republicans, who are looking to cut federal spending, not increase it. As a supplemental request, the package that the White House is sending to Congress does not fall within the budget limits that both parties agreed to as part of the debt limit disputes a few months ago.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement that there was strong bipartisan support in the upper house.
“The most recent request from the federal government shows the continued commitment of the United States to help Americans here at home and our friends abroad,” he stressed. “We look forward to working with our fellow Republicans in the fall to prevent an unnecessary government shutdown and fund this critical emergency supplemental request.”
The Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, who has defended support for Ukraine, was more measured.
“I look forward to reviewing the government’s request in detail to ensure it is necessary and appropriate…to keep America safe, protect our borders, support our allies, and help communities rebuild after disasters McConnell said in a statement.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio issued a statement urging Congress to quickly support critical funding for disaster relief programs while military aid for Ukraine is weighed separately.
Biden and his national security team have repeatedly said that the United States will help Ukraine “for as long as it takes” to drive Russia from its borders. Privately, government officials have warned Ukrainian counterparts that there is only so much patience in a highly divided Congress and the American people regarding the costs of a war that seems to have no end.
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Long reported from Chicago.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
