President Joe Biden said that he would accept Congress passing his proposed aid package to Ukraine separately from the money he has requested to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Biden made the statement on Monday after Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, had requested the aid to Ukraine, which Mr Biden initially proposed be $33bn but now looks to be closer to $40bn, be passed clean and separately.
“Previously, I had recommended that Congress take overdue action on much needed funding for COVID treatments, vaccines and tests, as part of the Ukraine Supplemental bill,” he said. “However, I have been informed by Congressional leaders in both parties that such an addition would slow down action on the urgently needed Ukrainian aid – a view expressed strongly by several Congressional Republicans.”
This comes after the White House warned that there will likely be 100 million Covid-19 cases in the coming months, CNN reported last week.
“If we do not take action, we also know that there are – we know that the virus is going to continue to evolve,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday. “And without us staying vigilant and prepared – like not having access to lifesaving vaccines, testing, therapeutics ... it has the ability to upend our lives.”
The move marks a second time Covid-19 relief was separated from a larger piece of legislation. Earlier this year, Democrats had to remove relief for Covid-19 from the larger omnibus spending bill.
Republicans later objected to passing additional Covid-19 relief after the Biden administration rolled back Title 42, a Trump administration-era policy during the beginning of the pandemic that restricted immigration and asylum claims.
“I think it's going to take for the administration to unwind themselves from the position they're in,” Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri said, adding that the administration contradicted itself by saying Covid-19 is not a problem at the US-Mexico border but Americans should get tested before traveling domestically.
"And they're just going to have to straighten that out,” he said “Even CDC seems to be dramaticaly arguing against itself.”
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said he was confident a Ukraine aid bill without Covid-19 aid would "fly though, maybe 99 to nothing," or potentially 99 to one.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who serves as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was worried that Covid-19 aid would become a hostage to immigration politics.
“It appears that way and it’s so critical,” he said. But when asked if he was worried about the two pieces of aid being separated, he said “I’d like to see both.”
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said he hoped the legislation would pass by Memorial Day and said he was ok with having a separate vote on Title 42 to pass Covid-19 relief.
“I generally support the notion that if you have legislation on the floor, both sides ought to be able to offer amendments to it,” he told The Independent.
Mr Blunt said that wouldn’t fix the problems.
“I don’t think that clears it up,” he said.
