A group of House Democrats is asking Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to include humanitarian aid in a foreign aid package that is expected to cover funding for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo Pacific.
In a letter to Johnson sent Tuesday and obtained by The Hill, the Democrats request Johnson to include $9.16 billion in global humanitarian aid in any potential aid package, a slightly higher amount than what was included in a national security supplemental aid package that passed the Senate in February. Johnson has refused to take up the Senate package.
The letter was first reported by Axios.
Democrats highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a key concern for the U.S. to address, and also request funding to help ease suffering in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Sudan, Haiti, and Venezuela.
“Our duty to take action is not just a moral one; it is also strategic: by relinquishing this duty, our nation would allow unstable areas around the world to become even more volatile—increasing threats to our security, as well as to the security and stability of our strategic allies and partners,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter was led by Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) and signed by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.); James McGovern (D-Mass); Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.); Seth Moulton (D-Mass.); Jamie Raskin (D-Md.); Dina Titus (D-Nev.); and Eleanor Holmes Norton, the delegate for Washington D.C.
It’s unlikely that humanitarian aid will be left out in a Johnson-proposed aid package because Johnson wants to bring the bill to the floor using a procedural maneuver that will require support from scores of Democrats who are virtually unanimous in demanding that such aid be a part of the legislation — a dynamic the Speaker understands well.
But there could be limitations on how money is utilized, with Republicans aiming to uphold a ban on the U.S. providing funds for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the controversial Palestinian relief organization that is under scrutiny for ties to the terrorist group Hamas.
It’s also unclear how much Republicans want to provide humanitarian aid for Ukraine, with a wing of GOP lawmakers who differentiate between sending weapons to Ukraine, and urging Europe to share more of the burden of economic and humanitarian assistance.
