8/9/23

The ask is sure to exacerbate the government funding battle on Capitol Hill

What’s happening: The Biden administration is expected to unveil its request for billions of dollars in additional funding for weapons and other aid to Ukraine on Thursday, according to two people with direct knowledge of the timing of the request.

That emergency funding ask is also expected to include aid to Taiwan and money to replenish rapidly dwindling disaster relief cash — although the final authority on specific money that’s requested lies with the White House Office of Management and Budget. 

Neither of the people provided further details on the amount of the request or its specific targets. Both people were granted anonymity to speak about sensitive discussions.

Adding to the spending strife: The request for more money to help Ukraine continue fighting against Russian aggression is sure to fuel the already pitched government funding battle on Capitol Hill, where a number of conservatives maintain deep skepticism over giving the country another dime without a fuller accounting of how assistance has been spent to date.

Government funding dries up on Sept. 30, and House and Senate appropriators are anticipating that money for Ukraine, Taiwan and disaster relief could ride to passage with a stopgap spending patch that averts a shutdown.

But passing a stopgap will likely prove tricky, requiring a major bipartisan lift. That’s especially true in the House, where Republican leaders are dealing with razor-thin margins and many conservatives vehemently opposed to passing a temporary funding patch that doesn’t enact steep spending cuts or GOP policy priorities.

Key context on emergency cash: Congress has provided Ukraine with about $43 billion since Russia first invaded the country. This request could also replenish Pentagon inventories after the U.S. sends a promised $1 billion in weapons to Taiwan. The Biden administration last month announced the first tranche of weapons for Taiwan valued at $345 million.

For months, the head of FEMA has also warned lawmakers that the U.S. is on track to deplete its disaster aid fund before additional cash comes in when the new fiscal year begins in October.

— Caitlin Emma and Lara Seligman

Connor O’Brien contributed to this report.