The battle for funding in Ukraine intensifies as the House hustles to pass funding bills.
The funding was not included in the short-term government funding bill that prevented a shutdown over the weekend, and some House Republicans are already sounding the alarm about the impending fight.
“Many of us care deeply about this, and it’s a hill we are willing to die on,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) on Saturday, shortly after the House passed legislation to keep the government funded through mid-November. “It’s a threat to global security, and we believe it is existential.”
“And we will take up that fight, and we will win that fight,” he added. “Ukraine will receive funding.”
Biden administration officials are warning that time is running out in Ukraine.
“While we currently have the means to support Ukraine’s ability to defend itself in the short term, we have already exhausted a large portion of the existing security assistance funding. It is crucial for Congress to take action,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday.
“We cannot, under any circumstances, allow America’s support for Ukraine to be disrupted. Our allies, adversaries, and the world will be watching.”
President Biden has requested Congress to approve around $24 billion in additional military and economic aid for Ukraine, a commitment that supporters claim is a significant signal of America’s practical and symbolic support for Kyiv.
Increasing U.S. assistance for Ukraine before winter is also seen as vital to bolster the country’s resilience against anticipated challenges, including Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure like energy and water, as well as harsh weather conditions that could further hinder Ukrainian forces already facing strong Russian defenses.
Senators had previously aimed to approve approximately $6 billion in new aid as part of a bipartisan bill to prevent a shutdown last week. However, that effort failed after House Republicans passed a bill just hours before the deadline, keeping the government funded without the aid and essentially daring Democrats to vote for a shutdown in support of Ukraine assistance.
While Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) expressed support for further aid, he also advocated for separating the funding from the stopgap bill.
“It should be separate. We need to have that debate,” he said, as more Republicans raise questions about the accountability of the billions of dollars in aid already sent to Ukraine and its progress in countering Russia.
With the omission of Ukraine aid in the most recent stopgap bill, lawmakers are already considering alternative options to attach assistance to as Congress prepares to pass several major spending bills in the coming months.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) stated that he expects the Senate to lead the way.
“We will receive a bill from the Senate on Ukraine funding, and I anticipate it will be brought to the floor. It will pass,” he said, suggesting that the Senate may attach the aid to its annual defense funding bill.
“The question is whether McCarthy will allow anything like that to go to the floor without border security funding,” McCaul added. “So, there are many members who want to link the two together.”
Republicans in both chambers are emphasizing the need for increased aid to Ukraine while also pushing for funds to address security at the southern border of the United States. These lawmakers argue that one issue does not have to come at the expense of the other.
“To those who say we need to fix our border, you’re right,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) during an appearance on CBS’s “Face The Nation” on Sunday. “To those who say we need to help Ukraine, you’re right. To those who say we need to prioritize the border, not Ukraine, you’re wrong.”
“We must address asylum, increase border security agents, and have more detention beds,” he added. “I believe there is Democratic support for significant border security reform, but we need to connect it to Ukraine for those who prioritize border security.”
Initially, House Republicans fought to link border security with last month’s shutdown battle. However, GOP leadership ultimately abandoned the strategy after conservatives rejected a bill that would have prevented a shutdown and enacted a portion of their key border bill, H.R. 2.
Among the provisions that Republicans are pushing for in H.R. 2, which passed the House earlier this year, are measures aimed to enhance border wall construction, increase the number of border agents, and limit access to asylum. This lays the groundwork for a potentially contentious border fight in the coming weeks that could ensnare Ukraine aid in the crossfire.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Ukrainian officials are in discussions with both Republicans and Democrats to ensure continued support for Kyiv so that assistance is not cut off again “under any circumstances.”
“We are having extensive discussions with both sides of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, and given the potential shutdown in the United States, decisions were made as they were made,” Kuleba said.
“But now we are working with both sides of Congress to ensure that it does not happen again, under any circumstances.”
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