Biden is pushing to approve more comprehensive legislation to provide support to Israel and Ukraine (European)
The US administration said that President Joe Biden will use his veto power against a bill supported by Republicans in the US House of Representatives to provide aid to Israel, at a time when he is pushing to approve more comprehensive legislation to provide support for Israel and Ukraine, and allocate new funds for border security.
The Office of Management and Budget said - in a statement yesterday, Monday - “The administration strongly encourages Congress to reject this political ploy and instead send the bipartisan National Security Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to the President’s desk.”
"The administration strongly opposes this stunt, which does nothing to secure the border, does nothing to help the people of Ukraine defend themselves against Putin's aggression, does not support the security of at-risk American synagogues, mosques, and places of worship, rejects humanitarian aid, and withholds humanitarian aid from civilians," the statement added. Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.
The so-called “national security supplementary legislation” provides for total funding worth $118.3 billion, including $60 billion allocated to support Ukraine, which is in line with the White House’s request, in addition to “security assistance” amounting to $14.1 billion to Israel, according to a summary issued. About Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray.
Officials from President Biden's administration have been working for months with members of both the Democratic and Republican parties in the Senate on the legislation that was unveiled on Sunday, which combines reform of US immigration policy, providing new funding for border security and billions of dollars in emergency aid to Ukraine, Israel and Washington's partners in... Indo-Pacific region.
Republican response
In response to Biden's threat to use his veto against the project, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement yesterday evening that "the president's threat to use his veto power is an act of treason."
Johnson, a Republican, added, "By threatening to veto aid to Israel and our military forces, President Biden is abandoning our ally at a time when she needs it most."
Mike Johnson had previously announced - last Saturday - that he would reject the Senate bill presented by both parties, and would instead vote this week on a bill that would provide aid to Israel only.
The bill does not enjoy full support from Republicans, as Donald Trump - the most likely candidate to obtain his party's nomination to run in the presidential elections - and his allies expressed their strong rejection of it, describing it as "not strict enough."
Trump has made security on the border with Mexico a major discussion point in his campaign against Biden before the presidential elections scheduled for next November.
It is noteworthy that last November, the Republican-majority House of Representatives approved a draft law related to Israel only, but it was never proposed in the Democratic-led Senate, and negotiators worked on Biden’s request from Congress to approve a larger emergency security package.
Source: Agencies