Taking Ukraine Hostage to Covid

The Biden Administration has asked Congress for $33 billion for Ukraine, and more than $20 billion is for such military aid as artillery, air defenses and cyber support. Speedy delivery is crucial. The Russians are “at least several days behind where they wanted to be” in their new offensive, a U.S. defense official said late last week. But Russia’s highest-ranking uniformed officer reportedly visited the front, and count on the Russians picking up the scale and pace of their brutality.

The White House said last week the Biden Administration has exhausted “almost all” of the $3.5 billion in spending authority Congress passed in March. That means legislators need to act to keep weapons flowing. President Biden is scheduled to visit a factory producing Javelin antitank missiles on Tuesday, and let’s hope he mentions the need to replenish drained American weapons stocks.

All the more puzzling then is the mixed White House messaging on moving the bill. The President’s letter to Congress on Ukraine last week reiterated his request for $22.5 billion in Covid funding. “To avoid needless deaths in the United States and around the world, I urge the Congress to include this much needed, life-saving COVID funding as part of this supplemental funding request.”

President Biden then said in a press conference that he didn’t “care how” Congress passed the funding. “They can do it separately or together.” But on Monday White House Press Secretary

Jen Psaki

said President Biden’s “preference” was passing the funding together.

The trillions of dollars Congress has thrown at Covid make the money for Ukraine look like a rounding error. The Covid request is already bogged down in a fight over immigration, and Democrats may figure they can get the GOP to drop its immigration amendments if Democrats hold Ukraine aid hostage to Covid funding. These political games are a big reason the public has such a low opinion of Congress.

The Ukrainians are in a fight for national survival, and by itself the aid would pass Congress in a rout, a rare moment of productive bipartisan agreement. Democrats run Congress and the White House, and it’s up to them to get the Ukraine aid done quickly.