The Biden administration opposes the House Republicans’ proposal for aid to Israel without aid for Ukraine, the White House said.
In October 2023, President Biden proposed that Congress appropriate $106 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel. No decision has been made yet.
According to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the Biden administration has been working with a bipartisan group of senators for several months on a national security agreement that would fund increased border security with Mexico as well as aid for Ukraine and Israel. When the bill text was almost ready, House Republicans made a “cynical political maneuver” that uses Israel’s security for “political games.”
“We strongly oppose this ploy which does nothing to secure the border, does nothing to help the people of Ukraine defend themselves against Putin’s aggression, and denies humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. House Republicans should instead work in a bipartisan way, like the administration and Senate are doing,” the White House statement said.
On February 3, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a letter to colleagues that next week there will be a vote on $17.6 billion in aid for Israel. According to Johnson, the US does not have time to consider a package combining aid for Ukraine and Israel tied to US border issues, since Israel urgently needs assistance.
Read more:
- “We cannot let Ukraine down,” Biden says, urging Congress for action
- Pentagon urges congress to approve Ukraine funding request, asserts global significance of support
- Ukraine’s artillery deficit twice as severe as EU’s 1mn round pledge falls through
