House conservatives urge Biden to retract Ukraine funding request.

House Faces ⁤Heated Battle Over Emergency Supplemental Funding

On ⁤top of the 11 appropriations bills the ‍House will be tasked with passing when it returns ‍from August recess, lawmakers ⁣will now face a heated battle ‌on what to do about the emergency supplemental request from President Joe⁤ Biden ‌that hard-line ‍conservatives increasingly​ oppose.

On Thursday, Biden requested $40‍ billion in emergency supplemental⁣ funding, which‌ includes‍ $24 billion in aid to ​Ukraine, $12 billion in ‍disaster relief, and‌ a⁢ couple of billion‍ for border security. By doing this, ⁤the White House⁣ can go around the spending limits ‌set⁣ in the Fiscal Responsibility Act,​ which raised the debt ‌ceiling but set spending caps ⁢on this year’s appropriations.

Conservatives Push Back Against Supplemental Request

But the⁣ move drew immediate pushback from conservatives in the House who not only don’t ⁣want to see more aid go to Ukraine but also believe the White House is breaking the ​terms ⁣of ⁣the ⁣debt ceiling bill⁤ where strict spending caps were set.

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) led a group of 12 House Republicans in sending ⁣a‌ letter ⁢to Biden urging⁣ him ‌to rescind his request for emergency supplemental funding for aid to Ukraine to assist them⁢ in ⁤their fight against​ Russia.

“By requesting a supplemental appropriations package, ⁤you are​ putting the U.S. on a path ​toward a government shutdown by violating the debt ceiling agreement,” the letter reads.

This does complicate the appropriations process. House ‌Republicans were ⁤already struggling to pass appropriations ​bills, only passing one of 12 before leaving ⁢for the August recess. The main struggle is they ⁢couldn’t get hard-line conservatives and ⁣centrists ⁤on the same page, and now the ‌supplemental request will only further complicate things.

The⁤ defense hawks‌ in​ the Senate are supportive of additional aid​ to Ukraine, while conservatives in⁤ the House have specifically stated⁤ they won’t support​ a supplemental, causing an‌ impasse.

The ​Biden⁣ administration ‍has been adamant‌ that ‍emergency funding does not count ⁣toward ⁣the‍ spending cap negotiated in the debt ceiling bill, but House Republicans have forcefully disagreed with that stance.

Republicans claim in the letter that if Biden really wanted the funding he’s requesting in ⁢the supplemental, then he should have put it ⁢in his budget request and had it go through the normal appropriations process, but since he didn’t, ‌they want him to rescind the request and​ “adhere to the spending limitations established⁣ by the⁣ Fiscal Responsibility Act.”

“This request exacerbates your administration’s out-of-control deficit ⁢spending and circumvents the bipartisan debt‌ ceiling agreement,” the letter reads. “Americans ‍are ⁤tired⁣ of funding endless wars and ​want policies that not only help restore fiscal sanity in⁣ Washington, but also put America and American citizens first. … ‌We ask that you withdraw ⁤your request for additional assistance until you provide Congress with a comprehensive strategy and mission for U.S. involvement in​ Ukraine.”

Biden’s ⁣Request for Ukraine Aid

Biden unveiled the highly anticipated request ‍on Thursday, requesting Congress to approve ⁢an⁣ additional $24 billion to go toward Ukraine as its military continues ⁢to fight off an invasion from​ the Russian government. The request seeks $13 billion to go toward security assistance with​ another $7.3 billion toward economic and ⁢humanitarian efforts, setting ⁤the stage for a battle with House Republicans who have been wary of providing the war-torn country ‌more economic assistance.

The funding proposal also includes requests⁢ for $12 ⁣billion in new funding ​for disaster relief and another⁤ $3.3 billion to ⁢assist countries whose infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed amid the Russian invasion.⁣ Another $4 billion‌ would go toward U.S.​ border security, bringing the​ request’s total ⁣to $40‌ billion.

The request is likely to garner⁣ some​ bipartisan support in the House, as several Republicans have⁢ publicly ‌expressed a ⁤desire to continue funding⁤ the Ukrainian war effort. However, at least one senior GOP member told the Washington Examiner that Republicans do not have the votes to get a Ukraine ‌supplemental across⁣ the line without Democratic help.

“People are completely against ‌spending⁣ more money to⁢ Ukraine, with all of ‌our existing ‌problems here at ​home,” Rep.⁤ Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) told the Washington ‍Examiner. “And ​so my role will be being a very loud voice, urging my‍ colleagues​ in Congress ​to vote⁣ no. And making sure that ​everyone knows which Republicans⁢ want to send their hard-earned tax dollars over to Ukraine, which Democrats want.”

Greene noted there’s⁤ a large‍ number of Republicans who‌ are opposed to the ⁤idea ‌of increasing ⁤military aid ​to Ukraine, noting it’s ⁢an ​“absolute nonstarter” ‌for many⁤ conservatives.

“I’m⁤ hoping our ​leadership won’t even bring that to the floor,” Greene said. “It should be a nonstarter. And I’ll⁣ be pushing as ⁢hard as⁤ possible to say this is not what ⁤we should be doing.”

That sentiment is ‍also being felt among GOP voters as recent polling⁣ shows⁤ the amount of support among Republicans to provide financial assistance has shrunk over the last year. Roughly 62% of Democrats support contributing increased aid​ to Ukraine compared to just ⁣28% of Republicans, according to a study‍ from the Brookings Institution.

It’s likely the legislation ⁤will receive support ‌from House​ Democrats, with several members already praising Biden for⁤ his efforts to support⁣ Ukraine‌ while also seeking to address the flow of fentanyl across the southern border.

“We applaud the Administration for putting forward a supplemental funding request that addresses each of these important issues ‌facing‍ our nation,” said Rep. Annie Kuster ‍(D-NH). “Now, Congress must get it across the finish line.”

It’s unclear whether House Speaker Kevin⁣ McCarthy (R-CA) will bring the⁢ proposal ‌to the floor for a vote, vowing earlier​ this year that any Ukraine-related funding must come⁢ through ​the regular appropriations process ‍rather than a supplemental aid⁤ request.

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