Biden asks Congress for US$105 billion in assistance for Israel and Ukraine

According to CNN, US President Joe Biden has asked Congress for more than 105 billion USD as part of a package to give security support for the continuing hostilities in Israel and Ukraine.In his speech to the country in the Oval Office during prime time, US President Barack Obama termed the situation “an inflection point” in American history.

He said that by giving humanitarian aid to residents in Gaza, the proposal would help lessen “the global humanitarian impacts of Russia’s ruthless invasion of Ukraine and of Hamas’ horrifying attacks on Israel.”

According to sources cited by CNN, the proposal would also include money requests for the Indo-Pacific area and the US-Mexico border.

US Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young outlined the funding request in a letter to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, stating that USD 14.3 billion would be requested for Israel, USD 61.4 billion for Ukraine, including USD 9.15 billion for humanitarian aid, USD 7.4 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region, and USD 13.6 billion for border security at the US-Mexico border.
The American people have a right to expect their leaders to work together and fulfill these goals because the whole world is watching. I urge Congress to deal with them in the next weeks as part of a thorough, bipartisan accord,” Young added.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hailed the proposal and promised to act swiftly to adopt it in response to Biden’s plea.
“This measure must be passed now; we cannot wait for the House to sort out its disarray. Democrats in the Senate will act quickly on this request, and we hope that our Republican allies will work with us to approve this much needed funds, he added.

To further divide the aid package worth USD 105 billion, Biden has requested USD 61.4 billion for Ukraine. According to The New York Times, more than half of that sum would be used to supply weapons and ammunition through defense contracts and US stockpiles, which the funds would then replenish.

The remaining funds would also be used to support nuclear security initiatives, economic and operational aid, intelligence and military logistics support, and the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees.He continued by saying that USD 14.3 billion would be set aside for Israel, stressing that the majority of the money will go toward defense contracts and the easier movement of arms and ammunition from US stockpiles to Israel.

The White House said that the package will include ammo for Israel’s ground-based laser air defense system, Iron Beam, as well as the missile defense systems known as Iron Dome and David’s Sling.

Additionally, according to congressional leaders, the package will also contain artillery rounds, kits that transform conventional bombs into precision weapons, and precision-guided missiles.

Furthermore, he emphasized that USD 13.6 billion will be allocated specifically for border security, including extra border patrol agents, immigration judges, shelters, and detention facilities.Additionally, it provided more than $1 billion to fight the trafficking of fentanyl.

The financing to build a border wall and changes to how asylum seekers are admitted to the nation are the two main Republican demands, according to The New York Times, that are not included in the proposal.

Additionally, USD 9.15 billion will be set aside for humanitarian help, which would include support for people in Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine who have been affected by the violence.

The White House did not specify how much support each organization could anticipate receiving, however.According to The New York Times, the Biden administration also requested USD 7.4 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, emphasizing that the monies, which include military assistance for Taiwan, are intended to help fight the growing influence of China in the area.

While another USD 2 billion would be allocated for development aid, nearly USD 3 billion would be used to finance the building of US submarines. Another USD 2 billion will go toward international military finance; it’s not yet known whether this money will be used alone by Taiwan or if it will also be split with other nations in the area.