President Biden is seeking an additional $25 billion in supplemental spending for defense and disaster relief. This funding would bypass budget caps and potentially lead to a clash with Republicans over aid for Ukraine.
The supplemental request includes $12 billion for disaster relief and $13 billion for defense, with approximately $10 billion of that allocated for Ukraine.
Last December, Congress approved $45 billion in extra funding for Ukraine, intended to last until the end of the fiscal year on September 30th.
The new aid package will be used, in part, to replenish U.S. weapon stockpiles that were depleted after providing munitions to Ukraine.
The U.S. has already spent $100 billion on the Ukraine war effort, and Ukrainian forces have been making slow progress in their counteroffensive against Russian troops. The U.S. and European allies have pledged additional support.
However, many conservative House Republicans are resistant to providing more funding for Ukraine. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has stated that he would not allow a vote on additional aid if it bypasses the defense spending cap set in May.
According to a recent CNN poll, the majority of Americans (55%) believe that Congress should not authorize additional funding for Ukraine, while 45% of respondents support more U.S. funding for Ukraine.
This issue may come to a head in September as Congress considers a stopgap spending measure to keep the government open beyond September 30th.
