Here's what's in Biden's $100 billion request to Congress

2024-12-23 22:02:25 source: category:Finance

President Biden is submitting a $100 billion supplemental request to Congress Friday, after delivering a rare Thursday night Oval Office address. He is trying to make the case to Congress and the American people that the U.S. needs to support Israel and Ukraine not just for those countries, but for U.S. national security interests. 

The White House on Friday morning released details of what's in the than $100 billion request, although Congress can do nothing about it while it's paralyzed with no permanent House speaker. The House is taking a third vote for speaker on Friday morning, after the Republican speaker nominee Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win enough support in the first two rounds.

"American leadership is what holds the world together," the president said in his Oval Office address Thursday night. "American alliances are what keep us, America, safe. American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with. To put all that at risk if we walk away from Ukraine, if we turn our backs on Israel. It's just not worth it. That's why tomorrow, I'm going to send to Congress an urgent budget request to fund America's national security needs, to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine. It's a smart investment that's going to pay dividends for American security for generations."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told CBS News "Face the Nation" moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan the Senate is "going to look over this whole package very carefully." 

"Well, we want to make sure we're not sending money to Hamas," McConnell told Brennan. "I can tell you that. But there are genuine humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza who are not Hamas, that have been thrown under the bus by what Hamas did. Innocent people. But we want to be careful about how the money is spent, be sure it actually gets where it's supposed to get. Which is part of what I'm saying here, we're going to look over this whole package very carefully, because it is a lot of money."

Here's what's in the president's request to Congress: 

$61 billion for Ukraine and replenishing U.S. stockpile

This figure includes $30 billion for Pentagon equipment from Ukraine and for replenishing U.S. military stocks. It also includes $14.4 billion for Pentagon intelligence and other defense support, $16.3 billion for the State Department and USAID to give economic, operation and security assistance to Ukraine. The Ukrainian portion of the funding also provides $481 million to support Ukrainians who flee to the U.S. 

Allotted funding for Ukraine has "nearly run out," national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Friday. 

"The world is closely watching what Congress doesn't next," he said. 

$14 billion in Israel-related assistance

Israel had requested $10 billion. Mr. Biden's request includes $10 billion for air and missile defense support, as well as the replenishment of Pentagon stocks. Specifically, the Biden administration is requesting support for Israel's procurement of the Iron Dome and David's Sling missile defense systems and components, it says, and the development of Iron Beam. 

The request also includes $3.7 billion for State Department needs related to Israel, including for supporting the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. 

$9 billion for humanitarian assistance

These funds would be used by the State Department to help with humanitarian needs in Ukraine, Israel, the Gaza Strip and elsewhere. 

"In addition to funding for security assistance for Ukraine and Israel, we are also requesting funding to address humanitarian needs of innocent civilians, including those impacted by the war in Israel and in Gaza," a sheet from the White House reads. "... Our humanitarian assistance is critical to demonstrating U.S. leadership amid unprecedented levels of humanitarian need, geopolitical competition, and global changes." 

$3 billion for the submarine industrial base 

Most of this funding would be for Pentagon improvements and infrastructure work at the U.S. Navy's four public shipyards in order to ramp up submarine readiness. 

$2 billion for security assistance to the Indo-Pacific region 

The U.S. is trying to bolster security in the region, as a China-North Korea-Russia cooperation appears to be strengthening. The funding would have the aim of deterrence, and supporting U.S. allies in close proximity to China. 

$11 billion for border security and migrant matters

This funding includes $4.4 billion for the Department of Homeland Security for things including holding facilities and reimbursing the Pentagon for its support. It also includes $1.9 billion for Health and Human Services to support the arrivals of unaccompanied minors. The border funding also includes $1.4 billion for the Justice Department to add additional judge teams, as immigration court backlogs cripple the system.

$2 billion to counter China in developing countries

The administration is trying to support the expansion of financing for developing countries to provide an alternative to China's financing for them, which the administration says can be "coercive and unsustainable." The funding is to be used to help unlock more in lending from IMF trust funds and development financing from the World Bank. 

$1 billion for countering fentanyl

Democrats and Republicans alike recognize how detrimental fentanyl is to the nation, taking hundreds of thousands of lies and destroying families. This funding is meant to hire additional Customs and Border Protection officers, among other things. 

$1 billion for migrant support 

This request includes $1.3 billion for State Department and USAID to support host families for migrants. 

$100 million for combatting child labor exploitation 

This money would help Department of Labor with child labor investigations and enforcement. 

Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.

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