President Biden will ask Congress for money to assist both Israel and Ukraine, a top White House adviser said Tuesday.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan did not say what form the requests for aid will take, including whether the requests will be packaged together or include other provisions. He said the White House Office of Management and Budget will draft the request.
“The president has been very clear today that we will be making a request to the Congress and it will include a request for funding for support to Israel. And he has also been equally clear that we are going to renew our request for aid to Ukraine,” Mr. Sullivan said.
Requests for more Ukraine aid have hit opposition from House Republicans who question the plan or goal for the war against Russia after already sending more than $75 billion in assistance.
Lawmakers have initially been more receptive to aid for Israel.
Mr. Biden is requesting $24 billion more for Ukraine, as it repels Russian invaders, but the request is stuck in limbo after Congress passed a stopgap bill to fund the government for 45 days without attaching the aid.
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The ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker threw the situation into deeper turmoil.
The weekend attack on Israel by Palestinian militants in the Hamas group complicated matters further.
At least one Republican, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, suggested that support for Israel should be prioritized over the European conflict.
“Israel is facing [an] existential threat. Any funding for Ukraine should be redirected to Israel immediately,” he wrote on X.
But Mr. Biden on Tuesday said he will try to fund “our partners,” prompting Mr. Sullivan to confirm that Mr. Biden meant both Ukraine and Israel.
“That’s unequivocal, we are going to do that,” Mr. Sullivan said.
Sen. Chris Murphy, Connecticut Democrat, echoed calls for Congress to get moving on efforts to support both overseas partners.
“It’s time for Congress to do its job. Approve support for Ukraine. Get aid to Israel. Confirm national security nominees,” he said on X.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.