Congress debated a supplemental funding request for $105 billion to aid Ukraine and Israel, to contain China’s influence. to invest in defense manufacturing in the U.S., and to both manage the influx of migrants at the border while providing humanitarian aid to them. Republicans in the House of Representative have tried to peel off just the Israeli aid, eliminating the Ukraine funding and any humanitarian aid for Gaza.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, slammed them for it, calling it “a partisan and woefully inadequate package” full of “poison pills that increase the deficit and help wealthy tax cheats avoid paying their fair share.” He said that “this kind of unnecessarily partisan legislation sends the wrong message to our allies and adversaries around the world.”
The funding request was already a tough sell — it has faced many challenges, including the three weeks that the House of Representatives could not function because there was no Speaker of the House. It is considered a crucial piece of the Democratic strategy for international affairs and national security.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared before the Appropriations Committee to champion the bill, but was shouted down by protesters yelling “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go!” and “Cease-fire now!”
