President Joe Biden wants Congress to approve of over $100 billion in aid for Israel and Ukraine, The Associated Press reports.
You may expect most of this money to be going to Isreal, given the recent terror attack that it suffered at the hands of Hamas and given its current efforts to defeat Hamas.
But, if this is what you thought, you are wrong. The majority of the roughly $105 billion that Biden is requesting from Congress would actually go to Ukraine.
According to the Associated Press, roughly $60 billion of the $105 billion would go to Ukraine; About $14 billion would go to Israel; Another $14 billion would go to managing the U.S.-Mexico border; $10 billion would go to unspecified humanitarian efforts; And, $7 billion would go to the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan.
The president made his plea to the American people and to Congress, for the $105 billion, in an Oval Office address that he gave on Thursday.
As part of his pitch, Biden insisted that the money is necessary for "America's national security."
"American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe," Biden said.
Elsewhere in his speech, Biden argued:
History has taught us 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. They keep going. And the cost and the threat to America and the world keep rising.
Biden insisted that the $105 billion is "a smart investment," one that will "pay dividends for American security for generations."
Chances are that, if you are reading this article, Biden did not manage to sell this $105 billion bill to you. And, chances are that Biden might run into some difficultly getting this money.
A large part of the reason for this is the Republican-led House of Representatives, which has been looking to reign in government spending, particularly government spending on such things as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, a war on which America has already spent over $100 billion.
Polls have shown that a majority of Americans also want to cut back on aid for Ukraine.
Another complication for Biden is that the House currently does not have a full time speaker. And, it does not appear that lawmakers have made any progress toward selecting one. It is worth highlighting the fact that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted because some Republicans were not happy with his handling of government spending.
We'll have to see how this all plays out. But, it appears that Biden might have some trouble securing the $105 billion.
