White House Prioritizes Ukraine Funding Over Border And Fentanyl Crisis
In a new request sent by President Joe Biden to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the president has asked for $24 billion in aide to Ukraine and only $4 billion for spending on the border, immigration, and to combat fentanyl that is being smuggled into the United States.
The $24 billion that the president requested for Ukraine will be split into two categories. $13 billion will be for spent on defense related aid and projects, while $11 billion will be used for economic and humanitarian aid.
An official in the Department of Homeland Security said that the package, which totals to around $40 billion, that is being requested is for “national security and critical domestic areas like disaster relief and border management.”
“The Administration is grateful for the strong bipartisan support for Ukraine since Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion, and we are confident that support will continue as we work together to support the Ukrainian people as they bravely stand up to Russia’s brutal war of aggression and defend their country,” the official said. “As it relates to the border, the supplemental funding request represents the resource requirements DHS [Department of Homeland Security] believes are essential to manage the border through the end of the calendar year. Border dynamics are fluid and the Administration will continue to communicate with Congress as conditions evolve. These are both bipartisan issues that we believe will garner bipartisan support.”
The $4 billion requested for the border and fentanyl crisis will be spent towards a variety of measure that are meant to strengthen the security of the southern border. This includes border management, as well as shelter and services for migrants that are released from custody.
A source from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Fox News that as of Thursday, there are currently 19,400 migrants in custody.
Meanwhile, since Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. has spent more than $113 billion in aid for Ukraine. The amount is largest amount that any country has provided Ukraine so far.
An administration official said that the administration will keep going back to Congress for more money to aid Ukraine if needed to.
“We don’t know how much longer this war is going to go on, or how much more assistance we might need to support Ukraine,” the official told reporters on Thursday. “We won’t be bashful about going back to Congress beyond the first quarter of next year if we feel like we need to do that.”
The negotiated deal between the White House and Congress capped national security spending at $886 billion for the fiscal year that ends September 30, 2024.
While Republicans remain split over the aid that is being sent to Ukraine, McCarthy (R-Calif.) has stated that he would not support any funding to Ukraine that would push the defense spending over the amount that was agreed to during the negotiations with the White House
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