Joe Biden faces a number of crises, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza as well as an invasion by illegal aliens on the Southern border. Joe Biden is partly responsible for this, but the federal government must address these problems to prevent them from spiraling out of control, leading to wars on our border and humanitarian disasters.
Biden will deal with all three crises simultaneously, offering up to $100 billion in aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, Israel’s war against Hamas, and a serious attempt to secure the border.
The biggest problem with the aid package is military and economic support to Ukraine. This country has already received over $85 billion. Biden believes that by including the bipartisan effort of helping Israel with substantial border security spending, more Republicans would support the funding package.
Some Democrats and Republicans proposed a test balloon earlier this month that would have combined Ukraine aid with border security. House conservatives rejected the idea, but adding the hugely popular aid to Israel might tip the balance in Biden’s favor.
The amount of aid could be the biggest obstacle. The $100 billion package would cover Ukraine, Israel, and border security throughout the fiscal year. This might not be possible, as Congress will not take up the bill to fund the government until at least next month. Israel urgently needs the money and weapons.
Bloomberg:
Persons familiar with the effort of the administration to coordinate the request stated that the details were still being worked on and that the amount would be enough for an entire fiscal. The White House’s previous request, which included $24 billion for Ukraine assistance, covered only three months.
After Kevin McCarthy’s ouster, any request from the White House will have to wait until the House elects a new Speaker. The House would have to take up any spending measures first, but it cannot complete any legislative work until Republicans unite behind a new Speaker.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader (R-Ky. ), tells Biden to stop playing games with border security money.
He told reporters that “the border part needs to be credible. Not just a reference, but a deal that is credible.”
Biden’s credibility on border issues has been reduced to a negligible level. Republicans will have to keep Biden accountable for his promises.
Biden will send the package to Congress by the end of this week. By then, it is hoped that Republicans will have a Speaker and the ability to begin working on a serious package of aid to address the crises plaguing the world.
