WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) – The White House asked Congress on Friday to approve $6.4 billion in aid to address the humanitarian and security crisis in Ukraine after Russia invaded the country this week, Biden administration and congressional aides said.
“In a recent conversation with lawmakers, the administration identified the need for additional U.S. humanitarian, security, and economic assistance to Ukraine and Central European partners due to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion,” an official from the White House Office of Management and Budget said.
The request included $2.9 billion in security and humanitarian assistance and $3.5 billion for the Department of Defense.
Congressional aides said the administration had made the request on Friday at a briefing for staff from congressional leadership offices and relevant committees, including the appropriations committees that set spending.
Congress, which is controlled by President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats, would consider the $2.9 billion in funding for the State Department and USAID as an emergency bill, with funding for the Pentagon considered later, congressional aides said.
The money would also cover the implementation and enforcement of the sanctions Biden is enacting to punish Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.
Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he would work closely with the administration to address the crisis.
“The United States government needs to provide the necessary resources to support our allies and assist the innocent people caught in the middle of this needless calamity,” he said in a statement.
The newly requested funds would augment the $650 million in security assistance and $52 million in humanitarian assistance the United States has already committed to Ukraine over the past year, as well as the $1 billion sovereign loan guarantee announced last week.
A Biden administration official said the conversation around funding needs would change as the situation on the ground evolves.
Earlier on Friday, Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who chairs the Senate subcommittee that oversees foreign aid, said he would support $10 billion or more to address the crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. read more
Departing from recent party divisions, both Biden’s fellow Democrats and opposition Republicans have expressed strong support for sharp increases in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, with some calling for passage of an emergency spending bill as soon as next week. read more
Russian missiles pounded Kyiv on Friday, families cowered in shelters and authorities told residents to prepare Molotov cocktails to defend Ukraine’s capital from an assault that the mayor said had already begun with saboteurs in the city. read more
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-asks-congress-64-billion-ukraine-crisis-2022-02-25/
Why? No one gives a shit. Not our problem! Everyone I know still asks, “Why the f$&k are we even over there anyways?” as they say, it was like they just up and went to war one day out of the blue for no reason whatsoever.
And once again, with what money?
We’re trillions in debt!
Funny how the government can always get money for some other country’s problems but they can never come up with money for their own country.
Imagine that!
F*ckin AAAA!!!!!! WHE GOT HOMELESS!!!!! YOU LOOKIN FOR MORE!!!!!! HOW ABOUT…….. HEMP ROPE THESE MTHFCRS!!!!!!!!
You THE ELITE arent ready for this!!! You think 500,000 soldiers! We know We have A 100,000,000 Totaly armed!!! FCK YU WE WILL PROTECT OUR BORDERS AND THEN WE WILL HANG YOU FOR TREASON!!! POLITICIANS ARE THE BIGGEST INSURECTION WITHIN OUR BORDERS!!!!!
sorry, but not one red zinc cent more should be spent on further support. They have already received 20 million in arms and weapon systems. The US is broke, we have no money to give to anyone. Just no.