Top lawmakers are preparing for a supplemental funding request from the White House for additional aid to Israel and Ukraine as soon as this week amid wars in both countries, two congressional aides and two administration officials said.
The request could be submitted to Congress in the latter half of this week; a final decision has not been determined, the sources said.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan signaled the potential action in an interview Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“The president has made clear that he is going to go to Congress with a package of funding for Ukraine, as well as continued support for Israel,” he said. “You can expect intensive engagement with Congress this very week as we work on such a package and seek to secure bipartisan support for it.”
Details of the package, such as the amount of humanitarian assistance intended for country, have not been made public.
Speaking Sunday to reporters in Tel Aviv, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who's leading a congressional delegation to Israel, said he and other members have talked with Israeli leaders about their needs.
They heard from "Israeli leaders about what is needed, and in munitions, we heard about precision guided bombs. We heard about Iron Dome replacement. We heard about 155 mm mortars. We heard about JDAMs [joint direct attack munitions] and many other things,” Schumer said. “And we also talked about what kinds of intelligence help they needed and diplomatic help that we might be able to do, as well.”
Schumer said he would direct Democratic Sens. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Patty Murray of Washington and Ben Cardin of Maryland — the chairs of the Armed Services, Appropriations and Foreign Relations committees, respectively — to work with their Republican counterparts and Biden administration officials to produce “the most generous package possible.”
Schumer said the Senate would move first and not wait for the House. House members on both sides of the aisle met with White House officials Friday to discuss plans for sending aid to Israel.
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He said lawmakers communicated to Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that humanitarian assistance could also be part of the funding.
“We also told them it was really important to and it’s difficult, we know it’s difficult, but still, we have to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza,” Schumer said.
In the wake of Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel, the White House and some key lawmakers have been discussing linking Ukraine and Israel aid. However, some House Republicans oppose the idea.
Biden administration officials privately told lawmakers that the White House is preparing a supplemental funding request to submit to Congress that includes money for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and U.S. border security, two congressional officials, an administration official and a defense official said last week.
Administration officials said the request would aim to address concerns related to the strain that providing additional military support for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan would place on the Defense Department’s stockpiles, a source said, by requesting money to build more weapons.
