Biden Seeks $40B in Emergency Spending

Proposal will run up against government shutdown threat
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 10, 2023 5:55 PM CDT
Biden Request $40B for Ukraine, Border, Disaster Relief
A Ukrainian soldier runs in a trench during a combat operation on the frontline in the Zaporizhzhya region, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops, on Thursday.   (AP Photo/Libkos)

President Biden sent a funding request to Congress on Thursday for emergency spending totaling about $40 billion. The proposal includes $24 billion for aid to Ukraine and other international causes, $12 billion to restock federal disaster relief funds, and $4 billion for needs at the border with Mexico, Politico reports. Although Ukrainian aid and disaster spending have support from both parties, the measure could complicate efforts to avert a government shutdown, which has a Sept. 30 deadline. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Thursday that Democrats hope to work with Republicans to avoid a shutdown "and fund this critical emergency supplemental request."

Still, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and some fellow Republicans have said they won't support new aid to Ukraine and want any new government spending to be matched by budget cuts, per USA Today. The fund for Ukraine assistance probably will last only till early fall, which means new funding will be needed for military operations through winter; officials said this money is intended for the first quarter of 2024. The funding request for the southern border would cover efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl, as well as costs such as providing shelter and services for migrants.

The disaster funding request includes money for increased firefighter pay for crews battling blazes in wildlands, per ABC News. FEMA has said it's running out of money to deal with natural disasters at a bad time; Biden signed a Major Disaster Declaration on Thursday in response to the fatal wildfires in Hawaii, per CNN. Last week, a CNN poll found 55% of US respondents opposed to approving new funding for the war in Ukraine. (More President Biden stories.)

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