GOP finds Biden’s billion-dollar request hard to accept for three reasons.

President Biden’s $40 Billion Supplemental Funding Request Faces Challenges in Republican-Led House

President Joe ⁤Biden’s​ $40 billion supplemental funding⁢ request to Congress will likely face an⁤ uphill climb in the Republican-led House over several of ⁤its⁤ components, including:

• $24 billion in aid to Ukraine
• $12 billion to replenish disaster ⁣relief funding
• $4 billion to address ​the southern border
• $60 million to increase wildland firefighter pay

Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young pressed Capitol Hill leaders to “take⁤ swift​ action to provide the additional funding”‌ in a letter addressed to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Thursday.

Inflation‍ Ticked Up⁢ to ‌3.2% in July in Setback ⁢for Biden⁣ and Fed

But it’s likely that several House Republicans won’t support more aid to Ukraine, and at least ⁤one Senate Republican has come out with concerns over the Biden administration’s request “lumping” disaster relief⁤ funding with Ukraine. ⁣While the⁣ measure will⁢ likely⁤ gain some bipartisan support, there are at least three⁤ problems that Republicans ⁢have with​ the funding request, which could lead to‌ a spending showdown in the fall.

House GOP⁤ Weary⁤ of More ⁢Ukraine Aid

High-profile Republicans, including McCarthy, have said they won’t support any more aid for Ukraine in⁤ the next fiscal year. And other hard-line conservatives, such as Reps. Chip Roy⁢ (R-TX) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), ‌already opposed‌ the request, ‍a sign of‍ the​ growing Republican ⁤displeasure with continuing ⁢to spend funding on​ the Ukraine-Russia war.

“No. This should be a non-starter for the @HouseGOP. ​It’s time to stand up for Americans⁣ and against the uniparty,” Roy said on the supplemental funding.

Republicans point to the $113 billion spent in support⁣ of Ukraine since Russia launched an invasion ⁤in February⁣ 2022, with little sign of a breakthrough over the summer.

As a faction, influential conservative members of the House have pressured McCarthy and GOP leaders to prepare bills with less spending than was agreed to. These⁣ efforts mean McCarthy ​will likely need Democratic votes to pass the supplemental funding before previous spending ‌on Ukraine runs out at the end of September.

Marco Rubio’s Qualms Over⁤ Disaster ‌Relief

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has taken issue with the ‍Biden administration combining the⁤ Federal Emergency Management Agency’s domestic disaster relief funding with Ukraine aid.

“President⁢ Biden is holding Floridians, and other Americans, hostage by tying critical domestic disaster relief​ to foreign ⁤military aid,” he said in a statement. ​”This is the type of cynical political⁣ manipulation ‍I warned about ⁤earlier this year⁣ and it further ⁣undermines‌ trust in the Biden ⁤Administration.”

Rubio pushed the Biden administration not to give a ​”blank ​check to ​continue the status quo” as⁢ the Ukraine-Russia war drags on.

Yet other Republican ‍senators appear‍ willing to consider the supplemental​ request. “I look forward to‌ carefully reviewing ⁣the Administration’s request to make ⁣sure it is necessary ‌and‌ appropriate​ to keep America safe, secure our borders, support our allies, and help communities rebuild after disasters,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said in a statement.

Biden Left ‌House GOP Leaders in the Dark

Another contention that‌ could prevent Congress from passing the funding request is the Biden administration didn’t consult⁤ with McCarthy or⁣ other House GOP leaders​ while​ assembling the package.

“And while⁢ there’s⁢ enough bipartisan ⁤support in the House‍ to push through the new Ukraine money,‌ the issue will be what McCarthy and​ other ​top Republicans seek in return,” PunchBowl⁤ News reported on Friday.

There is some concern among House Republicans about what will happen in the Senate over the supplemental. The debt ceiling⁤ deal reached between Congress and the White House capped defense spending in fiscal 2024 at $886 billion, a roughly ​3% increase⁢ from​ current levels,‌ and capped fiscal 2025⁤ defense spending at $895⁣ billion, a 1% increase.

But lawmakers such as ‍Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)⁢ called‌ for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to bring a supplemental defense bill to the Senate floor to get around⁣ the defense caps, which McCarthy said he doesn’t support. House GOP leaders fear ‍that if‍ defense spending is added to⁣ the‍ package, Senate Democrats could‌ push for more domestic spending, according to⁤ PunchBowl News.

Funding for the government runs out on Sept. 30, and with both chambers of Congress on August recess, there’s not much⁣ time to pass a federal budget or ‍a continuing resolution to fund the‌ government and pass the supplemental⁢ when lawmakers return.

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