Bipartisan lawmakers unveil $66B military aid and border alternative

A bipartisan group of eight House lawmakers on Friday unveiled a $66.3 billion proposal to fund military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in a bid to break the House logjam on the issue before Kyiv’s war effort sputters.

The measure, spearheaded by Ukraine Caucus co-Chair Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), is a narrower version of the $95 billion aid package passed by the Senate this week. The House counterproposal removes tens of billions of dollars in humanitarian and economic aid for Ukraine and Gaza included in the upper chamber’s bill and leaves the military portion that was in the Senate bill.

The bipartisan bill also includes provisions aimed at tightening border security and winning over Republicans who won’t approve Ukraine aid without addressing the border.

Who’s in: The bill is sponsored by an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. In addition to Fitzpatrick, the bill is co-sponsored by GOP Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Mike Lawler of New York and Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon.

Four centrist Democrats also signed on: Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Ed Case of Hawaii, Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez of Washington and Jim Costa of California.

Long odds: House Speaker Mike Johnson opposes the Senate version, and it’s unclear how he will respond to the new bill. But the new proposal creates yet another bipartisan pressure point as Ukraine advocates look to force a vote on the House floor after months of inaction.

Here are the highlights:

Ukraine: The bill allocates $47.7 billion to support Ukraine.

That total includes $13.8 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative for the Pentagon to sign contracts with U.S. defense companies to provide Kyiv with new weapons and equipment.

Another $13.4 billion would go to the Pentagon to replace weapons sent to Ukraine from U.S. military inventories.

Israel: The measure includes $10.4 billion in aid for Israel amid its war against Hamas in Gaza. That includes $4 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling air defense systems and $1.2 billion to field the Iron Beam laser anti-missile system.

The Pentagon would also receive an extra $4.4 billion to replenish its stocks of weapons and equipment sent to Israel.

Additionally, the bill includes $2.4 billion to support ramped-up operations by U.S. Central Command as troops respond to face attacks by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. It also funds replacements for munitions used in the Red Sea to defend U.S. ships and international shipping from Houthi attacks.

Pacific: It also includes $4.9 billion to support Taiwan and other U.S. partners in the Pacific to deter China. That includes $1.9 billion to replenish weapons transferred to Taiwan.

An extra $542 million would address unfunded priorities of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Instant reaction: At a roundtable with reporters, House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) criticized the bill for not including humanitarian aid to Gaza and Ukraine. He suggested the idea of funding nongovernmental organizations rather than the embattled United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

“There are ways to deal with humanitarian assistance, particularly in Ukraine that I think are more intelligent than just zeroing out the account,” McCaul said.

McCaul, a Ukraine supporter, said Congress ought to pass a supplemental in March to help Kyiv with its planned counteroffensive in April — and that he anticipates Johnson to work in that time frame. McCaul said he would discuss the path ahead with Johnson at an upcoming Republican retreat.

Repo Act: McCaul said he would work to include legislation to allow the U.S. to send money seized from Russia’s Central Bank and other institutions to help Ukraine rebuild.

“I do think [Johnson’s] committed. I think we have to make it palatable,” McCaul said of the legislation. “I know that in my conversation with the speaker, he’s a huge fan of that. It’s a pay-for where Russia pays for its own war crimes, not the American taxpayer.”

McCaul said he is also considering a proposal floated by former President Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that foreign aid comes in the form of loans and not grants.

“I think what the American people are they’re supportive of the weapons; I think they’re not as supportive of government subsidies,” he said. “And I think that loan program idea is a good one.”