President Biden urged Congress to approve a $106 billion package that would fund aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and enhanced security at the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden gave an address to rally Congress into approving the package, countering arguments by numerous Republicans that the border provisions are insufficient and that the Ukraine money — $60 billion — is too much for the U.S. to bear with fiscal responsibility.
The Biden administration portrays Ukraine aid as vital to long-term American national security, and questions the wisdom of lawmakers who don’t acknowledge the dangers of failing to continue to support Ukraine in confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’m not prepared to walk away and I don’t think the American people are either,” Biden said. Noting that the current funding could run out by year’s end, Biden warned that for Putin, it would “the greatest gift he could ask for.”
Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young sent an urgent letter to House and Senate leaders stating that “without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks.”
In letters addressed House Speaker Mike Johnson, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Young wrote: “I must stress that helping Ukraine defend itself and secure its future as a sovereign, democratic, independent, and prosperous nation advances our national security interests. It prevents larger conflict in the region that could involve NATO and put U.S. forces in harm’s way and deters future aggression, making us all safer.”
Forestalling — for the moment — the collapse of further funding, the Biden administration today announced $175 million in “new security assistance to meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs that uses the limited resources that remain available to help Ukraine.”
The funds utilize assistance “previously authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) that remained after the PDA revaluation process.”
The DoD release says the Ukraine packaged includes:
- AIM-9M and AIM-7 missiles for air defense;
- Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
- 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
- High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs);
- Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
- Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
- More than 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition;
- Vehicles to tow and haul equipment;
- Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing;
- Equipment to protect critical national infrastructure;
- Spare parts, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment.
