Senate Republicans want to change the Joe Biden administrationʼs request for $106 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan — to split it up.
The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) writes about it.
The request calls for $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $9 billion for humanitarian aid to both countries, $2 billion for security in the Indo-Pacific region, and $14 billion for strengthening the U.S. border to combat migrants.
Some Republicans want aid to Israel to be separated from aid to Ukraine. The WSJ writes that the initiative hints that aid to Ukraine has become "politically unpopular" among a number of Republican lawmakers. The bill needs bipartisan support, as 60 votes are needed to pass (Democrats have a 51-seat majority in the Senate).
Even before the White House formally announced the request on Oct. 20, nine Republicans wrote to the Senate leader urging any additional package to separate funding for Israel from funding for Ukraine.
"These are two separate conflicts, it would be wrong to use support for aid to Israel in an attempt to obtain additional aid for Ukraine," the senators wrote.
Last week, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton called the administrationʼs request "dead." He said that Republicans in the Senate will take the initiative and develop an alternative funding bill.
"We will not spend, for example, $3.5 billion to meet the potential needs of the residents of Gaza. The money could end up in the hands of Hamas," Cotton noted.
He also said he would withhold $11.8 billion in non-military spending from the Ukrainian government, as well as $4.7 billion in housing, transportation and services for immigrants in the U.S., saying the money should instead be spent on deportations.
- On October 20, US President Joe Biden asked Congress for additional $106 billion in aid. Of them, $61.4 billion is for supporting Ukraine, the rest is for Israel and for strengthening the border between the United States and Mexico. This is a total package.