The House and the Senate are currently at odds over President Joe Biden’s expansive funding request for foreign aid and national security goals. This disagreement is causing a delay in the approval process. On Tuesday, the Senate held a hearing titled “A Review of the National Security Supplemental Request” to strengthen its stance on passing the measure as a comprehensive package. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee, making a compelling case for the full spending measure.
Blinken emphasized the importance of approving the entire package, stating, “If we start to pull off pieces of this package, they’ll see that and know we are playing whack-a-mole while they cooperate increasingly and pose an ever greater threat to our security and that of our allies and partners.” Austin added that without U.S. support for Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin would be successful in acquiring its neighboring sovereign territory.
Their positions received a favorable response from the Senate, with Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray and Vice Chair Susan Collins backing the view that all provisions should be advanced together. They believe that each crisis should be treated seriously, calling for a comprehensive approach to the funding request.
However, the Republican-controlled House plans to separate the Israel aid portion and pass it separately from the rest of the measure, using it as an opportunity to cut IRS funding. This move is met with opposition from Democrats, including Biden, who would veto the House GOP bill if it were to reach his desk. Democratic allies have criticized this plan, stating that it is a recipe for disaster.
The Democrats argue that moving the foreign aid measures separately is an invitation to hand Ukraine to Putin. They believe that there is insufficient time to address the government funding bill, Ukraine aid, and Israel aid separately. They stress the need to package these provisions together.
Several Republican senators support the House’s approach, expressing a desire to prioritize budget cuts, particularly within the IRS. However, it is clear that significant changes would need to be made to the proposal before it can gain approval from Biden.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has endorsed the package of funds, underlining the importance of aiding Ukraine to protect American security. He states that if Russia prevails, Putin’s ambitions for empire will expand to NATO, posing a greater threat to the United States and its allies. McConnell believes that supporting Ukraine now is a crucial test for the United States and the free world.
This ongoing disagreement between the House and the Senate has caused a delay in the approval process for President Biden’s funding request. The outcome remains uncertain as both chambers work to find common ground. Stay tuned for updates on the resolution of this issue.
Originally published on NBCNews.com.
