(Bloomberg). President Joe Biden is supported by Congress in support of a huge $33 billion Ukraine aid package. However, the plan could get entangled in an ongoing partisan dispute about immigration funding and Covid-19 funding. 

While the Senate may vote next week on the emergency spending plan, the House is on recess. Congress may finish the package before May 9th and submit it to Biden. However, if Democrats demand that the long-stalled funding of Covid vaccines and treatment be attached to the package then action may be delayed indefinitely.  

“That’s not going to happen. That’s an awful way to do business,” Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, said about combining the two spending requests.

Senate Democrats and Republicans had previously reached a compromise of $10 billion on Covid funding. However, the effort was thwarted earlier in the month by Republicans who demanded that a vote be held on Title 42, an amendment which would reverse the decision to remove pandemic-related restrictions from migration across the southern borders. 

Sensible swing-state Senate Democrats who are opposed to Title 42 have spoken out and may feel forced to support a Title 42 Amendment. This could make the measure unpopular with the Democrats who are closely divided in the House if the provision becomes part of the bill. 

Utah Republican Senator Mitt Mitt, who was able to broker the Covid relief package along with Majority leader Chuck Schumer said that senators are still keen to vote for Title 42 extension. 

“I think the prospects of each being passed would be greater if they were kept separate and if each had the potential for amendments,” he told reporters. 

Biden asked Congress for a tie-up in his request. “Let’s get both of these critical tasks done,” he said Thursday at the White House.

This has been supported by many Democrats. Patty Murray (Senate Health Committee Chair) stated that Covid aid should also be included in the Ukraine package.

“It needs to get done. We need to have testing and new vaccines developed,” the Washington Democrat said. 

The administration’s proposal includes $20.4 billion in military and security assistance for Ukraine, $8.5 billion in economic assistance to help support the government in Kyiv, and $3 billion for humanitarian assistance and global food security, according to a White House statement.

White House officials stated that funding will be available for Ukraine until September 30, at the latest, the end of this fiscal year.

All in all, the Ukraine aid was supported by key Republicans who stressed the need for immediate action. 

“There is a desperate need for this assistance. We can’t play politics with this. We have to get this done,” Senator Rob Portman of Ohio said.

“The sooner the better on Ukraine,” Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, said.

The top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, said he is “pretty satisfied” with the request for the military although he had expected higher levels prior to the announcement.

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