White House warns Congress of urgent need for Ukraine funding

Author: Editors Desk Source: The Washington Post

December 4, 2023 at 08:44

Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young speaks during a daily news briefing at the White House on Sept. 29. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)

‘We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight,’ Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young said in a letter to congressional leaders

The White House issued an urgent warning to Congress on Monday about the need for additional aid for Ukraine’s war with Russia, with Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young bluntly writing in a letter to congressional leaders that the United States is “out of money to support Ukraine in this fight.”

In the letter, Young wrote that “without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks.”

“There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money — and nearly out of time,” she added, emphasizing that Congress must decide whether “we continue to fight for freedom across the globe or we ignore the lessons we have learned from history and let [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and autocracy prevail.”

A Biden administration request for nearly $106 billion for Ukraine, Israel and other needs remains stalled on Capitol Hill.

The White House has faced difficulty garnering support from Republicans for continued aid to Ukraine, with GOP members of the House and Senate expressing skepticism over the scale of the funding and how it has been allocated. Republicans have sought to tie U.S.-Mexico border policy changes to the aid negotiations.

The Biden administration request includes roughly $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, roughly $14 billion for immigration priorities and $10 billion for humanitarian aid, as well as more funding to counter China’s influence in Asia and the developing world.

Without congressional action to continue the flow of U.S. military equipment and resources to Ukraine, Young wrote, the United States would “kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories.”

The White House said identical letters were sent to Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).