The News
U.S. President Joe Biden formally requested Congress to approve over $75 billion in military funding to support the war efforts in Israel and Ukraine.
The White House’s proposal includes $61.4 billion in military aid to Ukraine and $14.3 billion to Israel. Of that, $50 billion will go directly to finance the American defense industrial base to help boost production of things like ammunition to be sent to Ukraine and Israel.
The request comes as the House remains without a speaker, putting the funding in limbo until Republicans are able to solve their internal disagreements.
“The world is watching and the American people rightly expect their leaders to come together and deliver these priorities,” read the White House letter to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry.
Know More
In his address from the Oval Office Thursday night, Biden said support for Ukraine and Israel was in the U.S.’s national security interest, and warned that stalling now could risk the backsliding of global democracy.
“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy,” Biden said.
The funding request also included $6.4 billion in border operations, which analysts say is likely a way to cajole Republicans into supporting funding efforts.