After a classified briefing on Ukraine, the US House Intelligence Committee, comprising Republican and Democratic leaders, urged Congress to approve aid for Ukraine by the end of this week.
The statement comes amid Ukraine’s severe ammunition and air defense shortage due to a delay in US funding.
“We must pass Ukraine aid now. Today, in a classified briefing, our Committee was informed of the critical need to provide Ukraine military aid this week. The United States must stand against Putin’s war of aggression now as Ukraine’s situation on the ground is critical,” said Republican Congressman Mike Turner and Democratic Congressman Jim Himes.
Aiming to overcome stiff Republican resistance, US House Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed splitting a long-awaited $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes military assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, into four separate bills.
However, the proposal has faced fierce opposition from some far-right Republicans, as two members of his caucus threatened to oust Johnson if he allows a vote on assistance for Kyiv. This means the bill would have to gain support from Democrats, apart from mainstream Republicans, to pass.
Apart from the Intelligence Committee, Johnson’s plan was endorsed by the House Appropriations, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs committees and the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
In a joint statement, the Chairmen supported Speaker Johnson’s plan to pass the full national security supplemental.
“There is nothing our adversaries would love more than if Congress were to fail to pass critical national security aid. Speaker Johnson has produced a plan that will boost US national security interests in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. We don’t have time to spare when it comes to our national security. We need to pass this aid package this week,” the Republican congressmen said.
The statement was signed by Mike Turner of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Mike Rogers of the Armed Services Committee, Michael McCaul of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Cole of the Appropriations Committee, and Ken Calvert of the Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Defense.
On Monday, US House Speaker Mike Johnson proposed splitting a long-delayed foreign aid package into four separate bills, covering aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other national security interests. This move could further delay aid for Ukraine, pending for over six months due to opposition from Congressional Republicans. The plan requires separate Senate approval even after a House vote, adding more time before aid can be disbursed.
Previously this week, in an interview with NBC News, Turner expressed confidence that the bill providing military aid to Ukraine and Israel would pass, citing the urgency due to Russia’s advancements and Ukraine’s deteriorating defense capabilities.
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