$13 Billion For Ukrainians, $12 Billion For Devastated Hawaii

Just on the heels of Hawaii declaring a state of emergency over its deadly hurricane-driven wildfires which have decimated much of the once paradise island of Maui, President Biden is expected to request $13 billion in emergency funding for… military support to Ukraine.

And oh… emergency funds for Hawaii will be less, as Biden simultaneously approved $12 billion for federal disaster relief.

In total the new package being requested for Congressional approval comes in at a whopping $40 billion. 

On top of the $13 billion in defense aid for Ukraine, another $8 billion is being sought for humanitarian support for the Ukrainians through the end of the year.

As for Hawaii, which saw wildfires wipe entire towns and neighborhoods off the map, leaving 36 Americans dead, it clearly takes a backseat to the Ukrainians’ plight in the thinking of the administration: 

The package includes $12 billion to replenish the U.S. federal disaster funds at home after a deadly climate season of heat and storms, and funds to bolster the enforcement at the Southern border with Mexico, including money to curb the flow of deadly fentanyl. All told, it’s a $40 billion package.

The giant total price tag is setting up a fight with GOP leadership. 

White House budget director Shalanda Young wrote House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday, urging Republicans to prioritize “commitment to the Ukrainian peoples’ defense of their homeland and to democracy around the world” as well as other needs. But the optics are obvious, and bad…

Do you think Hawaii will get as much money as Ukraine? pic.twitter.com/yKDKCnbOpw

— Ben Swann (@BenSwann_) August 10, 2023

The verdict is in, as Biden continues to put Ukraine first…

Rebuild Hawaii, not Ukraine. https://t.co/wgymiIaujj

— Abe Hamadeh (@AbrahamHamadeh) August 9, 2023

Republicans are likely to seize on these terrible optics, also given public support is generally waning amid the failing Ukraine counteroffensive.

USA Today has observed that Biden’s request “will run into stern opposition in the GOP-run House with Republicans who are adamantly against approving government spending that isn’t paired with budget cuts and conservatives who want a more detailed accounting of how Ukraine is spending the money the U.S. has already sent.”