U.S. aid to Ukraine: Congress may approve new package by year end
Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford (photo: flickr.com/oversight)
The military aid package for Ukraine and Israel may be finally approved by the U.S. Congress by the end of the year, stated Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford, according to ABC.
He added that significant changes in the U.S. immigration system would be part of military assistance to Ukraine and Israel.
"We're going to do this all together," Lankford said.
The Biden administration has proposed to allocate tens of billions of dollars to Israel and Ukraine to fight their respective wars, as well as $14 billion for border security. Republican lawmakers have said that these funds should be linked to changes in immigration policy, such as the shelter system.
"The most important thing is being able to get this right," Lankford said.
U.S. assistance to Ukraine
On October 1, the U.S. Congress passed a bill on a temporary budget. It did not include any new funding for assistance to Ukraine, as it was decided to consider this initiative separately.
After that, U.S. President Joe Biden proposed that Congress allocate $106 billion. Most of these funds ($60 billion) are to be used to help Ukraine. Funding for Israel, the Indo-Pacific region, and border security is also envisioned.
Politico reported that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to vote on Biden's request as early as December 4. And House of Representatives spokesperson Mike Johnson called assistance to Ukraine a priority for the United States.
