Congress faces hurdles in push for aid package to Ukraine, 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Nov 2023 18:24

A clear path to an agreement has yet to emerge between both houses to decide when and how aid will be dispatched to their proxies.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., walks to the chamber as Congress returns to work after the holiday break, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

Congress is working toward passing a foreign aid package by the year's end to provide essential assistance to key US proxies, including "Israel" and Ukraine, according to lawmakers.

With only three weeks left on the legislative calendar to craft a bipartisan deal, many question the members' capacity to achieve their goal.

In the past, President Joe Biden's emergency request for foreign aid has encountered obstacles in the House and Senate regarding how to proceed.

Both houses are currently entangled in disputes over matters such as "Israel's" war on Gaza, identifying funding sources for the requested aid, and addressing immigration reform. A clear path to an agreement has yet to emerge.

"These are very tough and delicate negotiations," Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters on Nov. 15 before the House went home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Diaz-Balart acknowledged the existence of "bipartisan support" for certain aspects of Biden's request but emphasized that "the devil's in the details."

I am against Joe Biden’s proposed $100 billion supplemental that combines aid for Ukraine and Israel together. It will create more challenges for our Southern Border and won’t make us safer abroad.

Congress should not use the goodwill Americans have toward Israel to drag along… pic.twitter.com/6L4XCBSFwT
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 26, 2023

Cutting IRS for 'Israel'?

A bipartisan bill focused solely on aid for "Israel" has come to a standstill, in part owing to the inclusion of an offset provision by House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., which proposes funding the assistance by making cuts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) budget - a proposition met with resistance from Democrats.

On the other hand, assistance to Ukraine has experienced waning support among Republicans. Several GOP lawmakers have tied aid to Ukraine to the issue of immigration reform, a longstanding policy challenge that Congress has grappled with for over a decade. The White House maintains that addressing immigration reform should be handled through standalone legislation.

"I know that both sides genuinely care about providing aid to Israel and Ukraine and helping innocent civilians in Gaza," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said on November 15 on the Senate floor. "So I hope we can come to an agreement, even if neither side gets everything they insist on."

The exact details of the upcoming aid package and its resemblance to the comprehensive foreign aid supplemental request made by Biden in October remain uncertain. In his previous request, Biden sought funding for various purposes, including humanitarian aid for Gaza, border security initiatives, and efforts to counter China, alongside allocations for "Israel" and Ukraine.