WASHINGTON, Nov 3 – The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives has approved a separate bill allocating approximately $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, with no mention of Ukraine, according to the voting results. The bill was supported by 226 members of the House, while 196 voted against it. The initiative received support in the lower chamber of Congress, where Republicans hold the majority, amidst sharp statements from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Just a few hours ago, Schumer stated that the upper chamber, under his party’s control, will not consider the bill as it does not include provisions for aid to Ukraine, and instead, he will present his own bipartisan initiative.
The White House sent its own request for additional budget appropriations in the fiscal year 2024 to Congress last week. It included funds for Israel and Ukraine, as well as investments in the Indo-Pacific region, humanitarian aid, and border security measures. Overall, the Biden administration aims to receive approximately $106 billion for these purposes. However, the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, previously indicated that assistance to Ukraine and Israel should be considered separately. Against this backdrop, several prominent Republicans in both chambers of Congress have recently spoken out against continued funding for Kiev.
The White House strongly opposes the adoption of the Republicans’ bill in its current form. As stated by the Biden administration’s budget office, approving such an initiative would send a “terrible signal to Russia and the rest of the world” regarding Washington’s resolve and would signify a “failure in supporting Ukraine”. In the event that such a bill is passed in Congress, the White House has threatened to veto it.
