White House budget director Shalanda Young sent a letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and other congressional leaders on Monday, cautioning that the United States is running out of both time and funds to aid Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
In October, President Joe Biden’s administration requested nearly $106 billion from Congress to support extensive plans for Ukraine, Israel, and U.S. border security.
With Republicans holding a slim majority in the House of Representatives, funding for Ukraine has become a contentious issue among some right-leaning lawmakers. Young emphasized in the White House-released letter that cutting off funding and the supply of weapons to Ukraine would elevate the likelihood of Russian successes.
“I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year, we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks,” she wrote.
Young stressed the urgency, stating,
“There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money — and nearly out of time.”
While U.S. allies have increased their support for Ukraine, Young noted that Washington’s assistance is irreplaceable. By mid-November, the U.S. Defense Department had utilized 97% of the $62.3 billion in supplemental funding, and the State Department had depleted the $4.7 billion in allocated military assistance. Economic aid funds totaling $27.2 billion and $10 billion in humanitarian assistance had also been exhausted.
“I must stress that helping Ukraine defend itself and secure its future as a sovereign, democratic, independent, and prosperous nation advances our national security interests,” Young emphasized.
The letter was addressed to Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
