WASHINGTON (CN) — The White House is asking Congress for more than $40 billion in “emergency funding” to support its foreign policy goals, address immigration issues and respond to natural disasters.
Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, sent a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday requesting the money for the first quarter of fiscal 2024, which starts Oct. 1.
A supplemental budget request essentially asks Congress to approve targeted funding outside of the typical budget and appropriations process.
The majority of the money, about $20 billion, is to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. More than half of it, $13.1 billion, would go through the Department of Defense while an additional $7.3 billion is sought for the State Department to provide economic, humanitarian and security assistance to Ukraine and “other impacted countries and populations,” the letter says. Another $100 million is requested for the Uniting for Ukraine program, which provides immigration support for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict.
The proposal faces a tough test when Congress returns next month as some Republicans have pushed hard for budget cuts while others have cooled on financial support for Ukraine. When President Joe Biden signed a deal to raise the country’s debt ceiling in June, McCarthy appeared opposed to supplemental funding requests for Ukraine aid.
The assistance to Ukraine is on top of four rounds of aid already approved, totaling about $113 billion, with some of that money covering replenishment of U.S. military equipment stockpiles. Congress approved the last aid package in December totaling $45 billion.
Beyond Russia’s war in Ukraine, the White House also wants money to support its foreign policy priorities in Africa, where the U.S. is vying for influence with Moscow and China. The funding request includes $1 billion to leverage investment in developing countries and $200 million to keep African nations from partnering with the Russian Wagner Group private military company.
Another $2.3 billion would support International Monetary Fund investment programs seeking to counterbalance China’s “coercive and unsustainable” lending programs, a senior administration official told reporters.
On the heels of ongoing wildfires in Hawaii that have killed 36 people, the White House wants $12 billion to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster recovery efforts.
Biden is also seeking $600 million to make permanent a temporary pay increase for wildland firefighters. More than 14,000 Forest Service and 5,000 Interior Department firefighters have received more than $381 million in temporary pay supplements through the bipartisan infrastructure law. The law increased pay by $20,000 or 50% of base salary, whichever was lower.
But when those funds run out by Sept. 30, base salaries will return to previous levels, which for some are about $15 an hour.
“These firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our communities and the president has made clear we are going to have their back,” a senior administration official told reporters.
Shifting to the southern border and immigration, the Biden administration is asking for about $4 billion to support law enforcement activities and improve services.
Officials said the money would support the administration’s approach to immigration since the expiration of the Trump-era Title 42 policy that allowed for quicker expulsion of migrants on public health grounds before they could seek asylum.
About $2.2 billion is requested for border management operations, while $416 million is proposed for fentanyl-detection systems and another $350 million would support fentanyl treatment and recovery.
Roughly $859 million is requested across the State and Justice departments to beef up immigration processing services.
Separately, the Department of Energy would receive $68 million to manage and respond to nuclear and radiological crises.
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