Listen 3 min

       Share

       Comment on this story Comment

       Add to your saved stories

       Save

       President Biden’s two top foreign policy lieutenants will testify in the Senate on Tuesday on behalf of a $105 billion request to support Israel, Ukraine and other security priorities, amid uncertainty over whether congressional Republicans are willing to keep the funding taps open for Kyiv.

       Sign up for Fact Checker, our weekly review of what's true, false or in-between in politics. ArrowRight

       Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will face questioning from the Senate Appropriations Committee over the White House’s strategy as it seeks to bolster the defenses of both Ukraine and Israel, the closest U.S. ally in the Mideast. The hearing will be one of the first public indicators of whether Biden will be able to win congressional support for his political strategy on Ukraine — which is to request $61 billion, a major sum, in the hope that he won’t have to ask again before the 2024 elections.

       Funding for defense aid for Ukraine and Israel enjoys relatively wide bipartisan backing, but a growing number of Republicans have become skeptical on help for Kyiv, leaving its approval in doubt.

       House GOP demands IRS budget cuts along with Israel aid

       House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated he does not agree with the administration’s approach of combining Ukraine and Israel funding into a single bill. Even in the Senate, where Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been a forceful advocate for aiding Ukraine, some Republican lawmakers have demanded additional spending on border security in exchange for their greenlighting more funding for Kyiv.

       Advertisement

       “America must stand strong by our allies, dictators cannot be allowed to invade sovereign democracies, terrorism cannot be tolerated, and we cannot ignore the humanity, and the cries for help, from civilians caught in the middle of conflict and crossfire who we must protect,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) plans to tell fellow lawmakers when the hearing starts at 9:30 a.m., according to a written version of her remarks.

       Skip to end of carousel

       Israel-Gaza war

       More than 8,300 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7. The Israel Defense Forces has “expanded” its operations in the Gaza Strip in recent days, adding troops and armored tanks. Follow live updates and understand what’s behind the war between Israel and Hamas.

       End of carousel

       Both Blinken and Austin have said that supporting Ukraine and Israel is crucial to advancing U.S. foreign policy interests, with Kyiv’s ability to fend off an expansionistic Kremlin at stake and Israel facing a major security threat from Hamas following the Oct. 7 cross-border attack.

       U.S. policymakers are hoping to avoid a regional war in the Mideast, in part by sending sufficient aid to Israel such that rivals — chiefly Iran — are deterred from attempting additional attacks on the country. The amount that the White House requested for Israel, $14 billion, is more than four times what the United States sent the country last year.

       Ukraine’s friends and rivals in Europe have been closely watching the turmoil in Congress in recent weeks, as House Republicans deposed their speaker and then struggled to pick another one. Democrats hope to pass security assistance quickly before currents funding for Ukraine dry up, potentially within weeks.

       Israel-Gaza war More than 8,300 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7. The Israel Defense Forces has “expanded” its operations in the Gaza Strip in recent days, adding troops and armored tanks as both the United States and Israel rejected calls for a cease-fire. Follow live updates and understand what’s behind the war between Israel and Hamas.

       Hostages: Israeli officials say Hamas militants abducted about 229 hostages in a highly organized attack. Four hostages have been released — two Americans and two Israelis — as families hold on to hope. One released Israeli hostage recounted the “spiderweb” of Gaza tunnels she was held in.

       Humanitarian aid: President Biden has urged officials to allow aid through the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, while U.S. aid faces hurdles to reaching those in need. The U.N. and other charities are also calling for a cease-fire to allow aid to civilians. The U.S. is preparing for mass evacuations of Americans if the war in Gaza escalates.

       Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip has a complicated history, and its rulers have long been at odds with the Palestinian Authority, the U.S.-backed government in the West Bank. Here is a timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

       Share

       Comments

       Israel-Gaza war

       HAND CURATED

       Israel-Gaza war live updates: Israel pushes farther into Gaza, rejects cease-fire

       59 minutes ago

       Israel-Gaza war live updates: Israel pushes farther into Gaza, rejects cease-fire

       59 minutes ago

       As settler violence surges, West Bank Palestinians fear new displacement

       October 30, 2023

       As settler violence surges, West Bank Palestinians fear new displacement

       October 30, 2023

       Why are Israel and Hamas at war? A basic explainer.

       October 30, 2023

       Why are Israel and Hamas at war? A basic explainer.

       October 30, 2023

       View 3 more stories

       Loading...