Joe Biden requests US$106 billion package for Ukraine, Israel, countering China
- In an impassioned speech he said the huge sums, which include US$7 billion to respond to China in Asia-Pacific, would secure US interests for generations
- His request comes as the US House of Representatives remains in chaos, with Republicans in their worst meltdown for decades and unable to elect a speaker
US President Joe Biden on Friday urgently requested military aid for Ukraine and Israel in a massive US$106 billion national security package, but Republican paralysis in Congress means it will hit an immediate wall.
Biden’s demand came a day after he drew a direct link between the Hamas attack on Israel and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to convince Americans that the United States must show global leadership.
The 80-year-old Democrat argued in an impassioned Oval Office speech that the huge sums involved – a total of US$105.85 billion, including US$61 billion in military aid for Ukraine and US$14 billion for Israel – would secure US interests for generations to come.
The package also includes US$7 billion for countering China and strengthening allies in the Asia-Pacific region, and over US$9 billion for humanitarian assistance for Gaza, Ukraine and Israel.
The American people rightly expect their leaders to come together and deliver on these priorities
But Biden’s request comes as the US House of Representatives remains in chaos, with Republicans, who hold a narrow majority, in their worst meltdown for decades and unable to elect a speaker.
