Biden calls on Congress to ‘immediately’ pass major Ukraine aid package before new Covid funding

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a Rose Garden event at the White House in Washington, May 9, 2022.

President Joe Biden urged Congress on Monday to quickly approve a multi-billion dollar aid package for Ukraine, warning that U.S. aid for that country's fighters has nearly been exhausted.

Biden had insisted last month that the military aid and the funding for the vaccine be bundled together. The chances of Congress passing the $33 billion in funding for the Ukraine have been increased by the removal of the two bills. Biden said the $10 billion in Covid relief funds are necessary to supply updated vaccines and shots for the fall.

Biden said in a statement released by the White House that he had recommended that Congress act on funding for COVID treatments, vaccines and tests as part of the Ukraine Supplemental bill.

Biden said that he had been told by Congressional leaders in both parties that an addition would slow down action on the Ukrainian aid.

He said that he was prepared to accept that the two measures move separately so that the Ukrainian aid bill could get to his desk.

On April 28, Biden asked Congress to allocate $33 billion to cover humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. Nearly two-thirds of that sum would go toward security and military assistance for Ukraine, as it fends off invading Russian forces, according to Biden's proposal.

In his statement Monday, Biden said the additional funding is both necessary and urgent, with money for shipments to Ukraine set to run out in 10 days.

This aid has been critical to the success of the battlefield. Biden said that they couldn't allow their shipments of assistance to stop while they waited for Congressional action.

There is no consensus for more Covid funding, despite the fact that there appears to be bipartisan support for the aid package. Democrats tried to pair the money for Ukraine with the additional relief funding.

I call on Congress to pass the Ukrainian Supplemental funding bill immediately and send it to my desk in the next few days. Biden urged Congress to move quickly on the COVID funding bill.

He said that more congressional action is needed.

If we don't get timely COVID funding, more Americans will die.