With the war in Ukraine showing no
signs of waning, President Joe Biden on Thursday asked Congress for $33
billion more to arm and aid the Eastern European ally - and is further
asking for approval for a plan to seize and liquidate assets of Russian
oligarchs and use the money to help the country Russia has invaded.
"The cost of this fight, it's not cheap. But caving to aggression is going to be more costly, if we let it happen," Biden said in remarks at the White House. "We either back the Ukrainian people as they defend their country, or we stand by as the Russians continue their aggression and atrocities in Ukraine."
The money would mean weapons and ammunition - as well as help to Ukrainian citizens displaced and suffering because of the war - would continue to flow to the besieged nation. While Congress authorized money for Ukraine in a bipartisan spending bill last month, "basically, we're out of money," the president said.
Of the $33 billion, $20 billion would be for military aid and $8.5 billion would go for economic aid. The rest would be for humanitarian aid and programs to ease the food supply problem created when Ukraine, a major source of agricultural products, was invaded in late February
Biden made reference to "the critical weeks and months ahead," another sign that the administration does not see an end in immediate sight of the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin, apparently unprepared for the strong resistance put up by the Ukrainian people, has become more aggressive and brutal in his attack, with hospitals and civilians - including children - targeted.
The United States and its allies have imposed increasing economic sanctions on Russia and the wealthy oligarchs who benefit from Putin's rule. Biden Thursday proposed taking it a step further - seizing and liquidating assets of Russian oligarchs, instead of merely freezing them. The proceeds could then be used to help Ukraine defend itself, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House.
"These are bad guys," Biden said. The world, Biden said, is "sending an unmistakable message to Putin: you will never succeed in dominating Ukraine."
The president also renewed his request for $22 billion in additional spending to deal with COVID. While hospitalizations and deaths are diminishing - Anthony Fauci, Biden's chief medical adviser, said this week the acute part of the pandemic is over - the government is running out of money for therapeutics.
"Let's get both of these critical tasks done. No delays, no excuses, just action. Now,” Biden said.
Fights
over immigration have held up the COVID funding, and while aiding
Ukraine is popular on the Hill in general, Biden’s latest demand faces
hurdles.
Senate Democrats have floated the idea of linking the Ukraine aid and COVID funding in one package, an idea senior Republicans have rejected. Biden, responding to a question from the media, said it didn't matter to him how the two funding requests were handled.
"I don't care how they do it. I'm sending them both up. We need them both," Biden said.
The president also took a shot at congressional Republicans - not common for a president who often remarks how he hopes to work with GOP lawmakers on legislation, and who thanks Republicans who have negotiated with him.
After getting the unhappy news Thursday morning that the economy contracted 1.4% in the first quarter of the year, Biden said, "I'm not concerned about a recession - I mean, you're always concerned about recession."
Some people are predicting a recession in 2023, Biden said - then turned his ire on Republicans, saying if they wanted to help the economy, they'd work with him to reduce the deficit and remake the tax code more equitable.
Congress "shouldn’t be raising taxes on middle class folks," Biden said, a reference to a memo by the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, saying that all Americans should pay something in taxes to have "skin in the game."
There is no formal proposal on Capitol Hill to raise taxes on the approximately one-half of Americans who pay no federal income tax. But Democrats have been using the memo to attack Republicans ahead of what is shaping up to be a grim midterm election season for Democrats, who hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress.
