President Joe Biden is considering asking Congress for $100 billion in aid for Israel and Ukraine, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The supplemental request would cover defense assistance for Israel and Ukraine, border security funding, and aid to nations in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, the report says, citing “people familiar with the matter.”
Any aid will be on hold until the House elects a new speaker. Rep. Jim Jordan failed to secure the position in the first round of voting on Tuesday, with 20 Republicans voting against him.
Biden is currently in Israel and has repeatedly vowed to support their war efforts.
“We’re going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens,” Biden said.
The US already provides nearly $4 billion in aid to Israel annually.
Israel has asked the United States for $10 billion in emergency military aid amid their bombing of Gaza, according to a report from the New York Times.
“Israel has asked the United States for $10 billion in emergency aid, according to three officials familiar with the request, though it is not clear how much would be for weapons and munitions,” the report stated.
Unlike the divided support for funding Ukraine, sending aid to Israel has bipartisan support in Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday that the House would “move quickly” on a package to assist Israel.
“I’m doing everything in my power to ensure the Senate delivers the support Israel needs to accomplish these military intelligence and humanitarian goals. We will not just talk. We will act. We will work to move this aid through the Senate ASAP,” he said.
I will be working with the Biden admin on an emergency supplemental that will give Israel the tools it needs to defend itself.
We want to move this quickly. The Senate must go first.
I know that the House is in disarray, but we cannot wait for them—the needs are too great.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 16, 2023
“I will be working with the Biden admin on an emergency supplemental that will give Israel the tools it needs to defend itself,” Schumer wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday. “We want to move this quickly. The Senate must go first. I know that the House is in disarray, but we cannot wait for them—the needs are too great.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also called for “maximum support” for Israel on the Senate floor on Monday evening.
“The United States must continue to provide maximum supports to Israel’s counterterrorist operation as long as it takes,” the minority leader said.
Since the start of the war on Saturday, at least 3,000 people have been reported killed in Gaza and an additional 12,500 wounded. It is estimated that roughly 1,400 people have been killed in Israel.
