From where there is none, it cannot be cut. The coffers are empty and the war in Ukraine still persists.
This morning the White House sent a letter to Congress in which it makes an urgent appeal for lawmakers to approve an increase in the financial endowment for Kyiv.
To reduce the resistance of conservatives, the missive indicates that this money also allows to promote the labor supply in the production plants of the United States.
"We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight," said Shalanda Young, director of the Office of the Budget in her letter addressed to both chambers of the Capitol.
He used the most alarming language the Biden Administration has used in its attempt to get more money out of Congress and into this war conflict that has been put on the back burner by the confrontation between Israel and Hamas. in the Gaza Strip.
"I want to make it very clear that, without action from Congress, by the end of the year we will not have the resources to provide more weapons and equipment to the Ukrainian forces and to deliver material from the stock of the United States Army," he said. emphasize Young. "There is no magic lamp available at the moment", he quipped. "We are out of money and practically out of time", he insisted.
He also warned that if this provision of funds is not granted immediately, "Ukraine will kneel on the battlefield and this would allow Putin and the autocracy to prevail".
In Congress, the Republicans do not want to deal with it if their demands to provide many more means to suppress the entry of undocumented people along the border with Mexico are not met. Among conservatives in the Lower House, Trumpist sectors are not at all upset that Vladimir Putin will prevail, they even view it with sympathy.
Conservatives want more details on how much money the country has spent on Ukraine and how much it intends to provide in the future. The letter tried to address some of these issues with a detailed exposition, but the urgency plea was based primarily on the argument that the money for Ukraine is bolstering U.S. defenses and boosting manufacturing. of the weaponry
About 60% of previous spending on Kyiv stayed within US borders and went to the Pentagon, intelligence agencies or defense contractors, the budget official said.
"This has improved our own readiness, because we are acquiring new equipment to replace the ones we sent to Ukraine, and so we are starting and expanding production lines and supporting good-paying jobs in dozens of states across the nation." Young emphasized in his text.
It remains to be seen whether his letter manages to overcome the skepticism of conservative legislators. House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke out against further support for this war before taking office. He voted against it twice. However, last week he showed his willingness to grant more money with conditions. So he joined Mitch McConnell, head of the Republican minority in the Senate. The two agreed that there is no deal if the border is not given a boost.
Johnson issued a statement in response to the letter in which he reiterated that the White House "has not substantially addressed" the concerns of Republicans. He specifically mentioned the absence regarding the strategy in Ukraine and "responsibility in this aid provided by the taxpayers of the United States".
