White House urgently appeals to Congress for assistance to Ukraine
US President Joe Biden (Getty Images)
Director of the US Office of Management and Budget (a division of the Executive Office of the US President) Shalanda Young sent an urgent letter to Congress regarding the need to approve aid to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.
The letter, released by the White House, states that cutting off funding and weapons for Ukrainians would "kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield" not only jeopardizing its gains but also "increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories."
She warns that the US will run completely out of resources to assist Ukraine by the end of the calendar year, as the White House looks to ratchet up pressure on lawmakers to pass an emergency funding package.
She also reminds congressmen that "there is no magical pot of funding."
"We are out of money — and nearly out of time," Young emphasizes.
The White House also said the funding would help strengthen the U.S. industrial base, as older weapons systems would be shipped to Ukraine and replaced with new ones made in the United States.
The director of the US Office of Management and Budget has estimated that almost half of the president's emergency request will be aimed at manufacturing in the US.
"While we cannot predict exactly which US companies will be awarded new contracts, we do know the funding will be used to acquire advanced capabilities to defend against attacks on civilians in Israel and Ukraine — for example, air defense systems built in Alabama, Texas, and Georgia, and vital subcomponents sourced from nearly all 50 states," Young adds.
The Biden administration is expected to brief lawmakers further this week on the consequences of not extending aid until the end of the year.
USA's aid to Ukraine
Back in October of this year, the White House asked the US Congress for about 106 billion dollars for Ukraine, Israel, and other priority areas.
At the same time, on November 2, the US House of Representatives passed a bill on allocating military aid to Israel in the total amount of $14.3 billion without mentioning Ukraine.
However, reports appeared in the mass media that the leaders of the US Congress still expect to approve the financing of aid programs for Ukraine and Israel in the coming weeks.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to hold a vote on Biden's request as early as this week.
