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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Sen. Mike Lee wants lawmakers to consider aid to Israel as a stand-alone package after President Joe Biden requested more than $105 billion from Congress to provide support to Israeli and Ukrainian allies, and increase security at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Lee has been a consistent skeptic of U.S. aid to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia, but has remained more staunchly supportive of backing Israel following the brutal incursion by Hamas on Oct. 7.
The Utah Republican shared a story from Politico on social media Sunday which reported that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, is in support of packaging aid for Israel and Ukraine together.
"The pro-Israel items should be introduced as a stand-alone and quickly voted on as Israel is about to start a needed ground offensive and may have to deal with a full-scale, multi-front war with Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south," Lee said in post on X, formerly Twitter. "We shouldn't hold the pro-Israel provisions hostage, leveraging their popularity to force passage of other, exceedingly controversial provisions inserted by the president."
Even if the Senate did pass the aid provisions separately, in order to fast-track aid to Israel, the House of Representatives remains unable to approve any legislation amid the ongoing fight to elect a speaker.
Lee also criticized the money proposed by Biden for humanitarian aid because it includes support for those in the Gaza Strip. The aid to Gaza is "likely to help Hamas & hurt Israel," the senator said, equating aid to Palestinians in Gaza to a "resupply for Hamas."
The White House said the aid request is for "humanitarian assistance and support for innocent civilians devastated by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's unjust war in Ukraine, Hamas' attack on Israel, and the numerous other natural and man-made crises around the world."
"This includes lifesaving humanitarian assistance in Gaza and support for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and surrounding areas," a White House fact sheet said.
The Biden administration also requested funds to improve security along the southern U.S. border and improve legal pathways for immigration. The funds would be used for temporary holding facilities and detention beds for recent arrivals into the U.S., as well as resettlement services for migrants.
Biden's border security requests are likely an effort to make the spending package more appealing to Republicans, but Lee remained unconvinced.
"Saying this money is 'for border security' is like describing gasoline as a fire retardant," Lee said, referencing the expansion of legal pathways and resettlement support.
