But after months of Israel and Ukraine expending resources in their respective wars absent U.S. assistance, questions remain about whether that top-line figure will be enough.
Johnson is proposing to bring a vote on four separate bills addressing aid for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific and other national security priorities.
The Biden administration last sent a package of military aid to Ukraine in December, and Russia has gained a firm upper hand in the war in the months since.
But Wilson said even more aid for Israel may be needed given what it expended to down Iran’s approximately 300 drones and missiles.
And she expressed optimism that the House will vote and pass Johnson’s four separate aid bills — for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific and other national security priorities.
Ukraine on the brink While Israel prepares for its next battles, Ukraine is bleeding.
“Any Russian gains in Ukraine without consistent military aid can be irreversible,” Stepanenko said.
Republicans have included in the Ukraine aid package a requirement that the Biden administration send long-range missiles, or ATACMs, to Kyiv, but have included a presidential waiver if delivery of such weapons harms U.S. security.
Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana is the Speaker of the House. ) has accepted the need to provide aid for the U. S. allies in response to Iran’s assault on Israel during the weekend, advancing a floor vote on a $95 billion national security package.
However, following months in which Israel and Ukraine spent resources on their respective wars without U.S. s. help, there are still concerns about whether that top-line amount will suffice.
Four different bills covering support for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region, and other national security priorities are to be put to a vote, according to Johnson’s proposal. President Biden’s initial request for aid to Israel, which was slightly over $14 billion, has been matched by Republicans, as has roughly $60 billion for Ukraine, with the exception of $10 billion that was originally intended for loans.
Since the Biden administration’s last military aid shipment to Ukraine in December, Russia has solidified its advantage in the conflict. As it tries to prevent potentially irreversible losses to Moscow’s invading forces, Ukraine and its allies say Congress should approve more aid immediately.
According to Michèle Flournoy, the Obama administration’s undersecretary of Defense for policy, “there is now concern that, absent assistance arriving very quickly, Russia may actually be able to break through some of the Ukrainian lines and retake territory.”.
People refer to this as a frozen line, but it is not frozen. Ukraine has been defending itself against overwhelming odds, but if they don’t receive assistance quickly, Russia will probably seize more land and may even reach a point where it poses a threat to the capital once more. We have to move quickly to get it to them. “.
Johnson’s proposal for foreign aid has received broad support from Democrats, but his decision to divide the Senate bill into separate sections could cause the process to drag on for weeks. Rep. Adams Smith (D-Wash. the House Armed Services Committee ranking member, stated that it might “basically boil Ukraine to death slowly” and cause a two-month delay in weapon shipments. “.
Although Israel is a less urgent issue, worries about it are intensifying daily due to the possibility of a larger conflict with Iran and its allies in the area.
Multimillion-dollar air defense interceptors and other heavy munitions were needed to defend Israel last weekend against a massive Iranian drone and missile assault; these weapons all need to be restocked.
Undoubtedly, Israel requires backing for its operations in Gaza; however, the main reason Israel requires security aid from the U.S. s. is for the next war, stated Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Foundations for Defense of Democracy’s Center on Military and Political Power.
It is, in my opinion, crucial that Israel received further security support yesterday—not so much for the ongoing conflict in Gaza as for the impending conflict between Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. “.
A strike in northern Israel on Wednesday left 14 soldiers injured, six of them critically, according to Israel’s military, and Hezbollah claimed responsibility for it.
Additionally, Israel is adjusting its reaction to the most recent attack by Iran. The Israeli attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria prompted Iran to fire its first salvo at Israel.
Israel gets ready for a more extensive conflict.
Rep. immediately responded to Iran’s attack on Israel. Joe Wilson, the R-S. D. ) was one of the few Republicans who joined dozens of Democrats in demanding that Speaker Johnson hold a vote on the national security supplemental, which was approved by the Senate, on the House floor.
Wilson told The Hill that he supports Johnson’s decision to divide the supplemental into four separate votes, which he announced on Monday. Wilson, however, stated that considering the amount of money Israel had to spend taking out Iran’s roughly 300 drones and missiles, even more assistance might be required.
Speaking of Israel’s air defense systems—David’s Sling, which can destroy long-range ballistic missiles and warplanes, and the Iron Dome, which can stop shorter-range rockets and mortars—he expressed his “extreme concern that, with what happened over the weekend, that there could be a real issue.”.
Rep. Democratic Senator Chrissy Houlahan (Pa. [Member of the Armed Services Committee and the House Select Committee on Intelligence] stated that $14 billion is still appropriate at this time, but the House is motivated by Iran’s attack.
According to her, “it kind of put an exclamation point on the urgency of all of this.”.
Additionally, she expressed hope that the four separate aid bills Johnson has proposed for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region, and other top national security priorities will be voted on and passed by the House.
She stated, “It’s heading in the right direction.”.
Mr. Democratic senator Chris Coons (Del. informed The Hill on Tuesday that substantial humanitarian aid had to be included in any package of bills sent from the House to the Senate. A $5.56 billion humanitarian aid package is part of Johnson’s proposal, which was unveiled on Wednesday.
“I assume that single bill will receive a strong vote in my caucus if it contains billions in desperately needed humanitarian relief,” Coons stated.
Conditions on military aid to Israel, which Coons and a few other Democrats had raised following an Israeli strike that claimed the lives of seven humanitarian workers with the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, are not included in Johnson’s proposal.
Ukraine at a critical point.
Ukraine is in a state of bleeding while Israel gets ready for its next war.
You. S. assistance in the form of air defense interceptors and 155 mm artillery shells is seen as essential to Ukraine’s defense, which is currently depleted over the roughly 600-mile front line.
U. S. Officials estimate that Russia outnumbers Ukraine five to one; however, Ukrainian officials place that number closer to seven or ten to one. Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), stated that the Russians are superior in almost every area, including manpower, warplanes, weapons, and missiles.
“Essentially, the Russians are taking advantage of this aid gap on the battlefield right now,” the speaker stated.
Because of this, the Russian military will have more control over when and where it can attack Ukraine. It will also be able to fortify its positions, making it even harder for the Ukrainians to retake the initiative.
“Any gains made by Russia in Ukraine without continuous military assistance may be irreversible,” stated Stepanenko. However, she continued, the ISW continues to predict that Ukraine will succeed in achieving its definition of victory, which is the liberation of all of its territories.
The most important weapons to be transferred to Ukraine are thought to be artillery, ammunition, and air defense systems; however, other types of U.S. S. assistance is also essential for offensive operations, including minesweeping, electronic warfare equipment, and combat vehicles.
Republicans have mandated that the Biden administration send long-range missiles, or ATACMs, to Kyiv as part of the Ukraine aid package. However, they have also included a presidential waiver if the delivery of such weapons harms U.S. s. safety.
It is believed that the missiles are essential to Ukraine’s ability to attack military targets in Russia. Yet during the course of the more than two years of the conflict, the Biden administration has refrained from deploying ATACMs. The administration, concerned about a possible escalation by Moscow against the U.S., has advised Ukraine not to use American weapons to launch an attack inside Russian territory. s.
Given that Congressmen who support Ukraine are determined to provide additional aid, it is unclear how Democrats will react to the GOP’s demand for ATACMs.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Biden expressed his unwavering support for the House legislation.
He declared, “The Senate should act swiftly after the House passes the package this week.”. “I will swiftly enact this into law to convey to the world that we support our friends and will not allow Russia or Iran to prosper. “.
