Washington (AFP) – On Thursday, Congress will begin discussing a thorny issue centered around two fundamental questions: Will the United States be satisfied with providing financial support to Israel? Or will it adopt a massive aid package requested by President Joe Biden to provide money to Gaza, Ukraine, and partners in Asia?
Published on: 02/11/2023 – 10:49 Last updated: 02/11/2023 – 10:47
3 minutes
The institution, which has finally returned to work under a new speaker of the House of Representatives, is divided over what kind of support should be provided to allies abroad.
Democrats, like Republicans, want to provide immediate military aid to Israel, the main partner of the United States that is waging a war against Hamas.
However, things get complicated when it comes to Ukraine.
Washington is the largest provider of military aid to Kiev, which has allocated tens of billions of dollars to it since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
But Biden’s promise to continue financial support for Ukraine, which he repeated during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington in September, is now being called into question.
Danger of restlessness
In Congress, specifically in the House of Representatives, which is dominated by conservatives, a group of right-wing representatives is demanding an immediate halt to aid to Kiev. This institution had entered a state of unprecedented paralysis that extended for a period of three weeks, until the election of its new president, Mike Johnson, who is trying to stand on his feet after taking office.
In the Senate, which has a Democratic majority, the Republican opposition mainly supports providing aid to Ukraine.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “The idea that support against Russia harms other security priorities is wrong.”
Realizing the danger of restlessness felt by part of the American political class, Democratic President Joe Biden decided to combine the request for aid to Ukraine, which amounts to more than 61 billion dollars, with aid to Israel, which amounts to 14 billion.
Also, Biden is seeking funds to preserve the United States’ position in the face of China on the military level, by investing in the field of submarines, and on the economic level by competing with major Chinese projects in developing countries.
The 80-year-old Democrat estimates he will also need just over $9 billion to respond to international humanitarian crises, including in the Gaza Strip.
In total, the total amount amounts to about $106 billion.
“brutality”
The Republican leadership in the House of Representatives seeks to stand up to the US President, and intends to organize a vote Thursday on an aid package dedicated only to Israel.
New House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “We cannot allow the brutality currently occurring against Israel to continue.”
He considered that support measures for other US allies should be discussed later.
To finance this package, the representative from Louisiana is considering withdrawing funds from Joe Biden’s master plan on climate and infrastructure that was approved last year, which the White House opposes.
The White House had threatened to veto the Republican text if it was adopted.
Many questions about the role of the United States as the world’s policeman depend on these aid packages, the confrontation over which appears difficult within Congress.
President Joe Biden said on the X platform, “I asked Congress for a set of measures that would allow us to fulfill our obligations regarding humanitarian aid and defense.” “A lasting peace depends on it,” he added.
© 2023 AFP
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2023-11-02 09:49:07
