Following the appointment of Mike Johnson as the new speaker of the House of Representatives on October 25, the US Congress has not approved any proposed package of aid to Ukraine. The date for considering a bill on allocating additional funds is still in the air.
In October, Democratic US President Joe Biden asked for a whopping $106 billion support package, including funds for Israel and Ukraine, but received no explicit congressional support. The House of Representatives (lower chamber of the US Congress), with the Republicans holding most seats, voted in support of Israel only. However, the Senate (upper chamber of the US Congress), mostly controlled by the Democrats, blocked the initiative.
The request is only feasible when approved by both chambers and the president. In the meantime, the White House administration has recognized that the funds previously allocated for the Kiev regime are running out. Hence, arms exports to Ukraine are in decline.
That being said, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin announced an upcoming $100 million support package during his visit to Kiev on November 20, although it was part of previously approved funds.
“We need to see — we need to see the Congress step up in a bipartisan way to support it, because there’s no way around the simple arithmetic that if there’s no funding to provide weapons to Ukraine, we’re just not in a position to continue to provide weapons to Ukraine,” said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at a White House press briefing on Monday.
The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, commented on the White House's call for facilitating military assistance efforts. Johnson said that his concerns regarding the Ukraine strategy remain unanswered.
On December 5, Mike Johnson said he had told White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that the administration must provide details on its Ukraine strategy before lawmakers approve further aid to the country.
“I told Mr. Sullivan very directly that there are important questions that must be answered so that we can continue with these negotiations,” Johnson said during a press conference. “What is the objective? What is the endgame in Ukraine? How are we going to have proper oversight over the funds?”
According to NBC News, the Democrats and Republicans tried to coordinate their stance on POTUS’ request for an extensive assistance package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. However, the talks fell through because the two parties failed to settle on the Republicans' demands for tougher immigration laws.
A major setback in regards to passing any financial support bill is the fact that the Republican Party essentially withdraws from any draft law consideration unless US southern border security is discussed first.
Today, Mike Johnson is the third highest-ranking US official, overseeing the way the House of Representatives considers draft bills. Due to his views on the ongoing conflict, Johnson faced criticism from staunch Ukraine supporters in the Republican Party even before he was officially elected to the position.
For instance, the conservative GOP group Republicans for Ukraine drew up a ranking list of American legislators weighing in on their Ukraine stance, with Johnson receiving the lowest rating possible, 1 out of 5.
On Monday, Democratic US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that he had submitted a motion to call a vote on the president’s request for increased funding towards national security, including support for Ukraine.
According to a Bloomberg report, a Senate vote on Ukraine funding “would not happen until the week of December 11, at the earliest.” However, it could be pushed even further due to differences among lawmakers.
Under the Senate's established procedure, once the debates are over, the senators have up to 30 hours to consider the bill, after which it is voted on. Thus, the Senate vote could take place on December 6, at the earliest. If Congress fails to agree on the matter now, the vote will have to be postponed until early January, after the Christmas break.
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