US Congress nears agreement on extending over $7 billion expiring Ukraine aid, sources say
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It was not yet clear whether Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (right) would support a Senate spending Bill including the extension for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s country.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – Pro-Ukraine US congressional leaders and US President Joe Biden’s administration are near an agreement to seek a one-year extension of US$6 billion (S$7.75 billion) in military aid for Ukraine that is due to expire in September, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
There is bipartisan support for the plan to include the extension of the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) in a continuing resolution, a short-term emergency spending Bill that the Senate and House of Representatives must pass in the next 11 days to avoid a Sept 30 government shutdown, they said.
The issue comes at a crucial time in the war, as Russia pummels Ukraine’s energy grid
Reuters reported on Sept 5 that Mr Biden’s administration has been engaged in urgent discussions with lawmakers about how best to keep the funding from expiring before it can be used.
The issue has become more urgent as the deadline approaches. The House of Representatives failed on Sept 18 to pass a funding Bill supported by the chamber’s Republican leaders that included a controversial voting measure backed by former US president Donald Trump, and opposed by Democrats.
That Bill did not include an extension of the Ukraine PDA authority.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sept 19 the Democratic-led Senate would prepare its own temporary spending legislation that would avert a shutdown. Negotiations on that Bill are continuing, but the sources said it is expected to include the one-year extension of the Ukraine aid.
It was not yet clear whether Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who held up Mr Biden’s last Ukraine spending request for months, would support a Senate spending Bill including the extension for Ukraine.
Mr Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment.
Another congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, said there are “active conversations” involving relevant House committees and Mr Johnson’s office about an extension of PDA authority.
The US$7.8 billion of the PDA was a key component of a US$61 billion aid package for Ukraine that easily passed both the House and Senate in April after months of delay by Republican opponents of Ukraine aid. The PDA allows the US President to transfer defence articles and services from US stocks in response to emergencies.
However, most of the US$7.8 billion in PDA in the Bill has not been used, largely due to supply-chain issues, leaving officials scrambling to find a way to keep the remaining US$6 billion from expiring as the Sept 30 deadline – the end of the 2024 fiscal year – approaches.
The PDA has been the primary mechanism the Biden administration has used to ship weapons to Ukraine.
Congress has approved nearly US$175 billion of aid and military assistance for Ukraine and allied nations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Much of that has come in the form of long-term funding for US defence production, as the Pentagon looks to replace equipment sent to Kyiv. Ukraine supporters have stressed the benefits for US industry as they look to overcome resistance from a vocal bloc of Republicans who say taxpayer money should be spent at home, not sent abroad.
Companies like RTX’s Raytheon in Arizona which makes Patriot missile systems and General Dynamics’ 155mm artillery plants in Pennsylvania are receiving contracts for products that will replace those sent to Ukraine using PDA.
Arizona and Pennsylvania are among the “swing” states expected to decide the presidential election. REUTERS
