US President Joe Biden plans to meet with Senate and House members on 17 January to underscore the significance of passing his national security supplemental request, which includes over $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, Ukrinform reports referring to a White House briefing.
“Tomorrow, President Biden will host congressional leaders – from the Senate and the House along with key committee leaders and ranking members at the White House to discuss the critical importance of (passing – Ed.) his national security supplemental request,” noted White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, noting that the request includes, among other things, funding for continuing large-scale assistance to Ukraine.
Simultaneously, she acknowledged that discussions for a bipartisan accord between Republicans and Democrats regarding immigration reform are ongoing. It is worth noting that this agreement served as a condition for Republicans to unlock additional assistance for Ukraine. Jean-Pierre expressed optimism that the negotiations are progressing positively.
The White House representative reiterated the importance of resolving these matters promptly and urged Congress to take swift action.
Biden submitted a request to Congress for additional funding to address national defense requirements, totaling $106 billion, in October 2023. This request includes a provision to allocate a minimum of $61.4 billion for military and economic assistance to Ukraine. Since then, the Congress didn’t approve Biden’s request. The Pentagon said at the end of 2023 that funding for Ukraine aid was exhausted.
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