Biden to Ask for Billions in Military Assistance for Israel and Ukraine

President Joe Biden will deliver a rare Oval Office address Thursday night as he prepares to ask for additional billions of dollars in military assistance for Israel and Ukraine, deepening American involvement in two very different, unpredictable and bloody foreign conflicts.

President Joe Biden will deliver a rare Oval Office address on Thursday night as he prepares to ask for additional billions of dollars in military assistance for Israel and Ukraine, deepening American involvement in two very different, unpredictable, and bloody foreign conflicts. The speech will be an opportunity for Biden to argue that the United States has an obligation — and a national security interest — in both places. And it's a chance for him to publicly lobby lawmakers for the money.

Funding Request Expected to be Around USD 100 Billion

The funding request, expected to be formally unveiled on Friday, is likely to be around USD 100 billion over the next year, according to people directly familiar with the proposal who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The total figure includes some money for Taiwan's defense and for managing the flow of migrants at the southern border with Mexico. Biden hopes that combining all of these issues into one piece of legislation will create the necessary political coalition for congressional approval.

Biden Faces Steep Challenges in Securing the Money

Biden faces an array of steep challenges as he tries to secure the money. The House remains in chaos because the Republican majority has been unable to select a speaker to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted more than two weeks ago. In addition, conservative Republicans oppose sending more weapons to Ukraine as its battle against the Russian invasion approaches the two-year mark. Biden's previous request for funding, which included USD 24 billion to help with the next few months of fighting, was stripped out of budget legislation last month despite a personal plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Concerns About Military Assistance for Israel

There will be resistance on the other side of the political spectrum when it comes to military assistance for Israel, which has been bombarding the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on October 7. Critics have accused Israel of indiscriminately killing civilians and committing war crimes by cutting off essential supplies like food, water, and fuel. Bipartisan support for Israel has already eroded in recent years as progressive Democrats have become more outspoken in their opposition to the country's decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory, which is widely viewed as illegal by the international community.

Rumbles of Disagreement Within Biden's Administration

There are rumbles of disagreement within Biden's administration as well. Josh Paul, a State Department official who oversaw the congressional liaison office dealing with foreign arms sales, resigned over US policy on weapons transfers to Israel. "I cannot work in support of a set of major policy decisions, including rushing more arms to one side of the conflict, that I believe to be short-sighted, destructive, unjust, and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse,” he wrote in a statement posted to his LinkedIn account. Paul is believed to be the first official to have resigned in opposition to the administration's decision to step up military assistance to Israel after the October 7 attack.

Biden to Deliver Only Second Oval Office Address of His Presidency

A speech from the Oval Office is one of the most prestigious platforms that a president can command, an opportunity to try to seize the country's attention at a moment of crisis. ABC, NBC, and CBS all said they would break into regular programming to carry the address live. Biden has delivered only one other such speech during his presidency, after Congress passed bipartisan budget legislation to avert a default on the country's debt.

The White House Plans to Formally Unveil Biden's Supplemental Request on Friday

The White House plans to formally unveil Biden's supplemental request on Friday, according to two officials familiar with the plans, although the timing could change. The Senate plans to move quickly on Biden's request, hoping that it creates pressure on the Republican-controlled House to resolve its leadership drama and return to legislating. Border security will likely be a contentious issue in spending conversations. Although there was a lull in migrant arrivals to the US after the start of new asylum restrictions in May, illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 last month. "There's a huge need to reimburse for the costs of processing,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who leads a Senate panel that oversees funding for the Department of Homeland Security. "So it's personnel costs, its soft-sided facilities, its transportation costs.”

Biden's Decision to Include Funding for Taiwan in His Proposal

Biden's decision to include funding for Taiwan in his proposal is a nod toward the potential for another international conflict. China wants to reunify the self-governing island with the mainland, a goal that could be carried out through force. Although wars in Europe and the Middle East have been the most immediate concerns for U.S. foreign policy, Biden views Asia as the key arena in the struggle for global influence. The administration's national security strategy, released last year, describes China as "America's most consequential geopolitical challenge.”