Request for Funding for Ukraine to Pass Both Houses of Congress – US State Department
The United States has not lost focus on the need to provide support to Ukraine, and Congress is expected to approve the Ukraine funding request when it comes up for a vote.
"And we believe, as a practical matter, that should funding for Ukraine get an up or down vote, it will pass in both houses of Congress," emphasised Matthew Miller, Spokesman for the US Department of State, during a briefing on 1 November.
He said the US support of Ukraine continues to be as important as ever: "It continues to be important that the United States be there to help Ukraine defend itself against these horrific attacks that Russia has launched on them and continues to launch on them."
Miller noted that the United States has "not lost focus in any sense on [its] need to support Ukraine".
"That’s why you’ve seen the President give an Oval Office address about our support for Ukraine, and we will continue to stay focused on it," the State Department spokesman added.
US President Joe Biden is trying to convince the US Congress to support aid to both Ukraine and Israel, and to approve a new $106 billion aid package, which includes over $61 billion in funding for aid to Ukraine. The new Speaker of the House of Representatives insists that the aid packages for Ukraine and Israel should be considered as separate measures by Congress.
The White House published an address to House of Representatives Republicans on 31 October, calling on the Republicans in Congress not to politicise aid to Israel and Ukraine.
"Politicising our national security interests is a nonstarter," the White House representative said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were convincing lawmakers to support Biden's initiative for additional aid to Israel and Ukraine at a hearing of the US Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, 31 October.
On 31 October, US senators from both parties expressed doubts about a plan by House Republicans to provide US$14.3 billion in aid to Israel separately from support for Ukraine.