The White House is preparing a supplemental funding request that includes allocations for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and U.S. border security, as reported by representatives of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to Members of Congress. The funding request aims to address the strain on the Pentagon, which is providing additional military support for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. It also seeks to increase the production of more weapons.
The White House had considered combining requests for military aid to Ukraine and Israel into a single request to Congress in the hope of increasing the chances of approval. However, some Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have opposed this idea.
Despite recent uncertainties surrounding Ukraine’s funding and the disruption in Congress’s decision-making process after the Speaker of the House of Representatives’ resignation, there is still bipartisan support for providing aid to Ukraine. U.S. senators from both parties are planning to approve aid to Ukraine in the coming weeks, with proposed amounts ranging from $50 billion to $100 billion. This consolidated aid package is seen as a means of giving Ukraine confidence and is considered more politically viable.
The proposed package could be passed between October 16, when the Senate returns from recess, and November 17, when the current temporary spending bill expires. While senators express some optimism, the package’s passage remains uncertain, and discussions regarding its size are ongoing.
