The priority of Congress is to approve the budget of the US government for 2024. Since this issue has already been almost resolved, the aid package for Ukraine and its partners will be transferred in the near future.
US promised not to delay with the help of Ukraine
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, considers it a priority for Congress to approve the 2024 government budget for $1.2 trillion because, at midnight on March 22, temporary funding for several key government agencies will end.
At the same time, Johnson promised that after the budget issue, the Chamber will pay attention to the draft law on assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
According to the speaker, the budget is already done. The only remaining task is to vote for him.
Currently, the text of the draft law on the budget has not been made public, although it was planned to do so the day before. The package, which is expected to be passed, will conclude the US Congress' work on spending bills for the year - almost six months after the start of the fiscal year, Johnson said.
The budget was divided into two packages. The second is more considerable and includes about 886 billion dollars for defence, 3% more than last year. The draft law also provides funding for the Ministry of Homeland Security, Health and Social Services, Labor, etc.
US aid to Ukraine
US military aid to Ukraine was exhausted at the end of 2023. In October last year, Joe Biden submitted a request to Congress for the allocation of $106 billion, of which more than $61 billion is intended for Ukraine, mainly for the purchase of weapons from the United States. The rest of the funds from the package were designed for Israel, aid to the Asia-Pacific region, humanitarian activities in the Gaza Strip, etc.
However, the request was not approved due to political disputes. Then representatives of Congress and the White House began to work on the text of the bill, which, in particular, was supposed to contain the demand of the Republicans to strengthen the security of the US borders to stop migration from Mexico. Already on February 7, he did not get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate.
Subsequently, an alternative draft law appeared on an aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan for $95.34 billion, of which $61 billion was planned for Ukraine. The US Senate voted for him on February 13. Both houses of the US Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) must approve the legislation before President Joe Biden can sign it. However, the US House of Representatives adjourned without voting for aid to Ukraine.
On March 12, 2024, the United States announced a $300 million aid package to Ukraine. This is the first US support package since December 27, 2023, when the United States transferred $250 million.
