Biden calls Congress to move Ukraine support earlier than new Covid funding

President Joe Biden urged Congress on Monday to rapidly approve a multibillion-dollar support bundle for Ukraine earlier than attempting to move a brand new spherical of Covid-19 funding, warning that US support for that nation’s fighters has almost been exhausted.

Biden’s new place marked a reversal from his insistence final month that the army support and the pandemic funding be bundled collectively. Decoupling the 2 payments considerably will increase the probabilities Congress will move the $33 billion in requested Ukraine funding, whereas dimming hope for the $10 billion in Covid reduction funds. Biden mentioned are crucial to produce up to date vaccines and photographs for the autumn.

“Beforehand, I had really useful that Congress take overdue motion on much-needed funding for COVID therapies, vaccines and checks, as a part of the Ukraine Supplemental invoice,” Biden mentioned in an announcement launched by the White Home.

“Nonetheless, I’ve been knowledgeable by Congressional leaders in each events that such an addition would decelerate motion on the urgently wanted Ukrainian support — a view expressed strongly by a number of Congressional Republicans,” Biden mentioned.

“We can’t afford delay on this very important battle effort,” he mentioned. “Therefore, I’m ready to simply accept that these two measures transfer individually, in order that the Ukrainian support invoice can get to my desk immediately.”

Biden on April 28 had requested Congress to allocate $33 billion supposed to cowl humanitarian and army support to Ukraine via September. Underneath Biden’s proposal, almost two-thirds of that sum would go towards safety and army help for Ukraine because it fends off invading Russian forces.

In his assertion Monday, Biden mentioned the extra funding is each crucial and pressing, with cash for shipments to Ukraine set to expire in 10 days’ time. “I’ve almost exhausted the assets given to me by a bipartisan majority in Congress to assist Ukraine’s fighters,” he mentioned.

“This support has been important to Ukraine’s success on the battlefield. We can’t permit our shipments of help to cease whereas we await additional Congressional motion,” Biden mentioned.

His assertion acknowledged that whereas there seems to be bipartisan assist for the help bundle, there isn’t any such consensus for extra Covid funding. Republicans had opposed Democrats’ efforts to pair the cash for Ukraine with the extra pandemic reduction funding.

“So I name on Congress to move the Ukrainian Supplemental funding invoice instantly, and get it to my desk within the subsequent few days. After which, I urge Congress to maneuver promptly on the COVID funding invoice,” Biden mentioned.

He pressured that extra congressional motion is required to deal with the pandemic.

“With out well timed COVID funding, extra Individuals will die needlessly,” he mentioned. “Within the fall, if we’re hit by new variants, it is going to be too late to get the instruments wanted for cover — important therapies that will likely be out there in Europe, however not the USA.”