Biden Seeks Billions to Support and Bolster Israel, Ukraine and Border Security

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden sent a supplemental funding request to Congress Friday morning, seeking more than $75 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, while also asking for a significant, multibillion-dollar investment in security at the southern border of the U.S.

The request came after the president made a prime-time speech on Thursday night expressing the United States’ strong support for Israel and Ukraine, while also condemning the recent surge in antisemitism and Islamophobia here in the U.S. This followed his return to Washington from a one-day visit to Israel following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7.

Biden’s 15-minute speech was only his second address to the nation from the Oval Office since becoming chief executive.

During his remarks, the president said the United States continues to be a “beacon to the world” whose leadership is “what holds the world together” in the face of attacks by the enemies of democracy.

“American alliances are what keep us, America, safe. American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with. To put all that at risk if we walk away from Ukraine, if we turn our backs on Israel, it is just not worth it.”

“History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction,” Biden said. “They keep going. And the cost and the threats to America and the world keep rising.”

On Friday morning the president requested supplemental funding from Congress to bolster investments in the nation’s security and support allies and partners.

The request includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine, including funding for military equipment, intelligence and other “defense support,” economic support, radiological incident response equipment, and aid for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the U.S. 

The proposal also includes $14.3 billion for Israel, including funding for air and missile defense support, industrial base investments, military financing and enhancing U.S. military and embassy security in Israel.

An additional $9.15 billion is being requested for the State Department, to provide humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and other areas in need.

Additionally, the request for supplemental funding includes $6.4 billion for operations at the Southwest border of the U.S., including $4.4 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, including holding facilities, and reimbursement of Defense Department support. 

Another $1.9 billion for the HHS to support eligible arrivals and unaccompanied children, while $3.1 billion would be invested in hiring thousands of additional border patrol agents, asylum officers and processing personnel; $1.4 billion for the Department of Justice to support the creation of additional immigration judge teams; and $1.2 billion for counter-fentanyl efforts including investments in non-intrusive inspection system deployment and fentanyl testing and tracing activities.

In a call with reporters on Friday morning, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated the president’s belief that the world is at a “global inflection point” following the Hamas attack on Israel that left more than 1,300 people dead, including 31 Americans, and with Ukraine continuing to try to fight off invading Russians.

“As President Biden said, these conflicts can seem far away, but the outcome of these fights for democracy, these battles against terrorism and tyranny, are vital to the safety and security of the American people,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said as relates to Israel, the supplemental funding request will ensure the Israeli government “has what it needs to defend its nation and its people.”

“At the same time, we are also requesting support to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance for civilians impacted by the war in Gaza, who have nothing to do with Hamas, and are suffering greatly as well,” he said.

As for Ukraine, Sullivan again reiterated the president’s remarks, saying it’s critical that the U.S. “continue to stand up to tyranny and aggression” and defend Ukraine against Russian invasion. 

“We know from history that if we walk away and let someone like Vladimir Putin erase Ukraine’s independence, he will not stop there, and would-be aggressors around the world would be emboldened,” he said.

Sullivan also noted that the request includes funding to strengthen the deterrence capability of the nation’s key allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and expanded development funding through the World Bank for countries hard hit by the spillovers of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to provide alternatives to coercive and unsustainable financing for developing countries around the world. 

“Finally, I would note that this budget request is also an investment in America,” Sullivan said.

“As a critical component of President Biden’s foreign policy for the middle class that will allow us to have more weapons and equipment that defend America to be made in America,” he said.

On Thursday night, Biden described support for Ukraine and Israel as a “smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations, help us keep American troops out of harm’s way, help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful, more prosperous for our children and grandchildren.”

The obvious question is how Congress will act on the request given the Republican leadership battle that has paralyzed the chamber. The letter seeking the supplemental appropriation was sent Friday morning to Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who currently has no power to act on it.

Biden’s response, as delivered during his speech, was simple: “Time is of the essence.

“We can’t let petty, partisan, angry politics get in the way of our responsibility as a great nation,” the president said.

Asked about the pending request during an early morning press briefing on Capitol Hill, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the Republicans’ current nominee for speaker, said, “You’re making the case for why we need to get the House open … so that we can evaluate the package.

“Right now, we can’t do that. We can’t vote on or pass anything until we get the House open,” he said, adding, “Of course we certainly need to help Israel, but I’ve got to see the package and we can’t do that until the House resumes business — which is all the more reason why we need to select a speaker as soon as possible.

“Again, I got 200 votes (out of a necessary 217) as the speaker designee from my colleagues, so the sooner we can get this accomplished, the better it will be for the American people, who expect us to work for them, as well as our friends and allies.”

Before he ended his remarks on Thursday, the president also addressed the recent marked rise in antisemitism and Islamophobic events that have occurred across the country since the Hamas attack on Israel.

“We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism. We must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia,” the president said. 

“To all of you hurting … I want you to know: I see you. You belong. And I want to say this to you: You’re all American. You’re all American,” Biden continued.

“In moments like these, and when fear and suspicion and anger and rage run hard, we have to work harder than ever to hold on to the values that make us who we are,” the president said.

When Congress gets back to work, the supplemental funding request is likely to face stiff resistance from House Republicans, who refused to include additional funding for Ukraine in the continuing budget resolution passed last month before the speaker crisis. 

It could also face opposition from progressive Democrats who are likely to contend it doesn’t go far enough in aiding innocent Palestinians caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hamas.

However, the early response to Biden’s speech from more moderate Democrats, was highly positive Thursday night.

“I agree with what President Biden made clear tonight: the wars we see in Israel and Ukraine are part of an existential struggle between fascism and freedom, despotism and democracy, might and right,” Said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., in a written statement.

“The decisions Congress makes in the coming weeks will determine democracy’s fate for decades. If sovereignty, democracy and international law are to endure — and endure they must — we need to protect those principles not only in America but also where they are most threatened. Today, that is Ukraine and Israel,” he said.

“We face a new axis of evil today. The dictators, despots and dealers of destruction leading Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Iranian proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, stand together in their assault on democracy. They are watching whether the free world — and this Congress — will unite to defend it,” Hoyer continued.

“Democrats and Republicans have come together to support our allies many times in the past. We must do so again now. With one voice, Congress needs to send a definitive message to all those who wish democracy ill: America must do all it takes to defend its democratic values whenever and wherever they are threatened,” he said.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also issued a statement shortly after the president’s remarks concluded, saying he had “masterfully presented the case that American leadership on the world stage is necessary for preserving and promoting democracy.”

“Congress must swiftly consider the president’s request for supplemental national security funding, including humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza. It is long overdue for House Republicans to bring the House to order so we can honor this responsibility,” Pelosi said.

On the supplemental funding request specifically, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, said the nation is at a pivotal moment in history.

“We will be judged on how the United States responds to ongoing crises, whether we honor our commitments to our allies abroad, and how we care for innocent people around the world caught in the wake of devastation,” DeLauro said.

“As we work to ensure Israel and Ukraine receive the resources they need to defend themselves, we must ensure innocent Palestinian and Ukrainian civilians quickly receive the humanitarian aid they need to survive,” she continued.

DeLauro said she’s looking forward to “reviewing an additional supplemental request to address some of our most urgent domestic needs including child care, disaster relief and access to broadband.

“Time is of the essence. American children and families, those affected by natural disasters, and our allies abroad do not have the luxury of waiting for our support,” she said. 

“I look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate to quickly draft and pass an emergency supplemental funding package,” DeLauro said.

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