The White House said Friday it is sending a roughly $105 billion funding request to Congress that packages aid for the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel with enough money to hire thousands of agents and judges at the southern U.S. border.
President Biden’s request includes about $10 billion in humanitarian aid for civilians stuck in the crossfire in Ukraine, Israel and the Gaza Strip, where the Israelis are waging war to root out Hamas militants who terrorized their country on Oct. 7.
Further, the request includes several billion dollars to resist Chinese financing in developing countries, bolster security in the Indo-Pacific and fund the “submarine industrial base.”
Mr. Biden, in a prime-time address late Thursday, said taxpayer-funded aid for Ukraine and Israel is vital because the two wars threaten to undermine democratic stability around the world and damage U.S. national security.
By packaging foreign aid with $14 billion in border funding, the administration is daring Republicans who are leery of new funding for Ukraine to reject money aimed at dealing with the migrant crisis and intercepting fentanyl — key priorities and talking points for GOP lawmakers.
“We will not be lectured by those who refuse to act,” Shalanda D. Young, the White House budget director, said. “Congress needs to take action to provide sufficient resources for the border.”
SEE ALSO: Biden declares Putin, Hamas threats to democracy in prime-time speech
The request faces immediate challenges beyond the politics of spending billions in U.S. taxpayer money abroad. The House GOP majority has been unable to elect a speaker after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the role, making it difficult to pass legislation.
“That is a matter for the House to work out,” Ms. Young said. “We are doing our job here by letting Congress know what the critical needs are, and we expect them to act, and act swiftly.”
Some lawmakers want to give Rep. Patrick McHenry, the speaker pro tempore, special powers to move bills, though the idea is meeting resistance from some Republicans.
Ms. Young, in a letter to Mr. McHenry, told Republicans to “stop playing political games” with border security, a key vulnerability for Mr. Biden as he faces an unchecked tide of migrants, who are often bussed to New York City and other parts of the interior.
Ms. Young said the package includes money for 1,300 border patrol agents; 375 immigration judge teams to bolster the immigration court system; 1,600 asylum officers to speed the processing of asylum claims and enough funding to hire 1,000 Customs and Border Protection officers with a focus on intercepting fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is driving the overdose crisis. The package would also equip border ports of entry with drug-detection technology.
Mr. Biden is pushing the funding request, which is supplemental to other budget demands, as he contends with a U.S. response to wars on two fronts.
Already struggling to lock down funding for Ukraine as it repels Russian invaders, the surprise raids that killed more than 1,000 people, including 30 Americans, in Israeli towns this month are complicating Mr. Biden’s ability to stamp out global fires.
The president late Thursday compared Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine, to the Islamist organization Hamas, which carried out the surprise Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. cannot get wobbly on the European conflict while it deals with the Middle East.
“Putin is betting that America will walk away from defending its democratic partner, Ukraine,” he said.
Money for Ukraine is the biggest ticket item in the request, with $60 billion divided into $30 billion for equipment and replenishment of U.S. defense stocks; more than $14 billion for intelligence and other defense support; over $16 billion for the State Department and others to provide economic, security, and operational assistance; and the remainder to support Ukrainian refugees to the U.S. and address nuclear or radiological incidents in Ukraine.
The package includes $14 billion for Israel to support its war against Hamas militants, including over $10 billion for air and missile defense support and nearly $4 billion for State Department efforts, such as military financing and embassy support.
Around $10 billion is set aside for humanitarian needs in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza. While Mr. Biden said the U.S. unequivocally supports Israel’s war on militants, he is urging Israel to consider civilian needs in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and not let rage guide the response.
“This supplemental request invests over $50 billion in the American defense industrial base — ensuring our military continues to be the most ready, capable, and best equipped fighting force the world has ever seen,” Ms. Young wrote. “The funding will expand production lines, strengthening the American economy and creating new American jobs. This request also addresses the global humanitarian impacts of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and of Hamas’ horrific attacks on Israel, including by extending humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.”
• Jeff Mordock and David R. Sands contributed to this story.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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