The Biden administration is asking Congress to approve $32.5 billion to bolster Ukraine against Russian aggression and shore up the United States in the battle against the coronavirus, APA reports citing Washington Post.
The official request arrives as Democrats and Republicans continue to tussle over a broader aid package that many lawmakers hope to append to a still-forming deal to fund the government. Absent imminent action, critical federal agencies and programs are set to run out of money after March 11, imperiling Washington’s ability to respond to both crises in full.
To aid Ukraine, the Biden administration is calling on lawmakers to approve $10 billion, hoping to address the emerging humanitarian crisis in the country in the face of a worsening Russian onslaught. The figure also includes assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses, protect its electrical grid from disruption, and further assist other European allies, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the plans.
For the pandemic, meanwhile, the Biden administration is requesting about $22.5 billion from Congress to replenish key public health programs as a safeguard against future variants of the coronavirus, the people said. Top White House officials have maintained in recent days that they have enough funding to combat the waning omicron surge. But they have stressed that significant pots of money have been spent or committed to specific purposes, warranting new investment in testing, therapeutics and vaccines to protect against the possibility of a new wave.
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