Ukraine funding bill faces Republican opposition in House

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - A Ukraine funding bill remains in a deadlock Wednesday in the House of Representatives as President Joe Biden strongly urged lawmakers to pass the package.

Biden met Tuesday with congressional leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the Oval Office to stress the urgency of keeping the government open and passing the bipartisan national security supplemental.

The president emphasized the urgent need for Congress to continue to stand with Ukraine and urged House Republicans to take up a $95.3 billion military aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, with $60.06 billion reserved for Kyiv.

The measure passed the Senate in a 70-29 vote after a hardline group of Republicans tried to block it. But the bill faces Republican opposition in House.

- 'I would like us to see us continuing sending aid to the Ukraine'

According to some polls, two years into the war, American support for Ukraine is down, but for some Americans, funding Ukraine is crucial to defend Kyiv in the fight against Russia.

Jessica Mathews from the state of Texas told Anadolu that she was at the Senate building to do her part to advocate for the Ukrainian spending bill and to discuss housing rights with leaders on the Hill.

"I think it's a tough issue, for sure. I think that it's hard to think about the Ukrainian issue in a global vacuum or we're not thinking about what's going on in Israel as well. It's a very complicated issue.

"Personally, I would like us to see us continuing sending aid to the Ukraine, just so we can continue our commitment," she said.

Bridget Britt said she supports Biden's push to get full support of Ukraine in a military spending bill "a hundred percent."

"It is crucial to our defense and the defense around the world that we support Ukraine and fight against Russia.

"I think they're very ill-informed and they don't realize that if we do not fund Ukraine, that we are in support of Russia and that is going to hurt us militarily and weaken our defense, as well as the rest of NATO," she added.

The US wants Ukraine to get back to its independence and Russia to retreat, said Britt.

"I would hope so, and there's anything that we can do to make that happened, I think the US should do it," she said.