According to reports, President Biden is considering a hefty $100 billion supplemental request for military help to Ukraine and Israel, border security funds in the United States, and assistance to countries in the Indo-Pacific region, which would include Taiwan.
Reports indicate that the idea shows a worrying diversion from tackling domestic issues, which may require quick attention. The Biden administration, on the other hand, seems more interested in making a good impression abroad.
As DC reacts to the shocking attack on Israel on October 7 by Hamas militants and looks to continue supporting Ukraine as it deals with a Russian invasion, it is widely assumed that Biden would ask Congress to enact a supplemental spending package within days.
The news surfaced as Biden prepared to travel to Tel Aviv and Amman to support Israel and talk with Jordan and Egypt officials on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
U.S. Senate leaders said last week that they anticipated Biden to request billions of dollars for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and border security before the end of the week.
The request that was made consisted of an entire year’s worth of money, according to two individuals, explaining its enormity. Senator Ben Cardin, Democrat head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, indicated he would not be surprised if the supplemental request exceeded $100 billion.
In the United States, Congress is legally responsible for allocating government funds, but no one knows what will happen to any given bill. Since Kevin McCarthy’s ouster on October 3, the Republican-controlled House has been minus its Speaker and has been unable to advance legislation.
Ukraine, a country that has yet to earn the complete confidence of House Republicans, is benefiting from the backing for Israel in a sly way.
The ballooning national debt, at a whopping $28 trillion and rising, is impossible to ignore. Reports show that money going overseas is money that isn’t being used to address the problems that the typical American faces. There are a lot of serious issues at home, from rising healthcare bills to inflation.
