The Biden administration reportedly seeks to tie Israeli aid with more Ukrainian support, reviving hope among establishment lawmakers that Ukraine could receive more taxpayer funds than the previously earmarked $113 billion.
The hope of tying the aid together unexpectedly declined Wednesday after key lawmakers signaled opposition to the combined spending packages.
“I support both, but I think it’d be a mistake to bundle the two,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) told Politico on Wednesday. “But it sounds like the administration wants to put the two together. I think that’d be a mistake.”
In turn, Biden administration officials appear to be sweetening the request. They “privately” told some lawmakers on Wednesday that the administration is working on a supplemental funding request for congressional approval that links additional funding for two more nations, Taiwan and the United States, NBC News reported.
Altogether, taxpayer funds would be designated for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and the U.S. southern border, as two congressional officials, an administration official, and a defense official told the outlet.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby acknowledged the possibility of combining all the funding requests during Wednesday’s White House press briefing. He told reporters that “active conversations” were ongoing, noting he was unable to share more details.
Some establishment lawmakers appear interested in concealing all four funding requests into one package, even though Joe Biden announced an additional $200 million Ukraine package on Tuesday. He also requested $24 billion for Ukraine in August, but Congress, so far, has not shelled out additional taxpayer funds. Congress earmarked $113 billion for Ukraine earlier this year.
“This is gonna be a leadership call,” House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) told reporters. “They’ve had discussions with [the White House Office of Management and Budget]. We’re looking at a variety of options that would include all four of those things,” he said in reference to Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, and the U.S.
The House does not have a majority leader, dashing hopes of any aid passing through Congress. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) failed to secure enough votes Wednesday from the Republican conference to bring a vote for speaker to the House floor, a bad sign for his chances of winning the speakership.
Republicans will likely postpone a full House vote until the conference consolidates behind a candidate, potentially Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). “I think it is foolish to rush this to the floor unless you have 217 votes,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told the New York Times. “It’ll be interesting.”
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
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