Conservative Republicans in the House are shooting down a request by President Joe Biden to approve increased funding for Ukraine and other military assistance, decrying the effort as nonnegotiable.
Biden unveiled the highly anticipated request on Thursday, requesting Congress to approve an additional $24 billion to go toward Ukraine as its military continues to fight off an invasion from the Russian government. The request seeks $13 billion to go toward security assistance with another $7.3 billion toward economic and humanitarian efforts, setting the stage for a battle with House Republicans who have been wary of providing the wartorn country more economic assistance.
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“No. This should be a non-starter for the House GOP,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said in a statement. “It’s time to stand up for Americans and against the uniparty.”
The funding proposal also includes requests for $12 billion in new funding for disaster relief and another $3.3 billion to assist countries whose infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed amid the Russian invasion. Another $4 billion would go toward U.S. border security, bringing the request’s total to $40 billion.
The request is likely to garner some bipartisan support in the House, as several Republicans have publicly expressed a desire to continue funding the Ukrainian war effort. However, at least one senior GOP member told the Washington Examiner that Republicans do not have the votes to get a Ukraine supplemental across the line without Democratic help.
“We still don’t have an accurate accounting of the $113 billion we have already sent to Ukraine,” Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) said. “With the disaster that is taking place on our southern border, why are we even considering this?”
That sentiment is also being felt among GOP voters as recent polling shows the amount of support among Republicans to provide financial assistance has shrunk over the last year. Roughly 62% of Democrats support contributing increased aid to Ukraine compared to just 28% of Republicans, according to a study from the Brookings Institution.
It’s likely the legislation will receive support from House Democrats, with several members already praising Biden for his efforts to support Ukraine while also seeking to address the flow of fentanyl across the southern border.
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“We applaud the Administration for putting forward a supplemental funding request that addresses each of these important issues facing our nation,” said Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH). “Now, Congress must get it across the finish line.”
It’s unclear whether House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will bring the proposal to the floor for a vote, vowing earlier this year that any Ukraine-related funding must come through the regular appropriations process rather than a supplemental aid request.
Reese Gorman contributed to this report.