Border security and Ukraine aid should not be tied together, White House says
October 03, 2023 04:17 PM
The White House says that border funding is important but shouldn’t be tied to Ukraine funding.
As a budget battle rages in Washington, some congressional Republicans have suggested tying money for the war in Ukraine to money to secure the southern border. The former has become a more popular issue with Democrats and the latter more important to Republicans.
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“Is the White House on board with tying additional aid to Ukraine with border security, as some Republican lawmakers have suggested, as a way to resolve this [budget standoff]?” a reporter asked during Tuesday’s press briefing.
National Security Council coordinator John Kirby answered that both are important but clarified when asked again if securing the border should be linked to Ukraine.

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“We don’t believe they should be tied or one dependent on the other,” Kirby said. “But both are important. Both can be and both are important. That’s why in our supplemental request, in addition to some $12 [billion] to $13 billion for defense-related support, there’s also $4 billion in there for border security enhancements.”
Illegal immigration has surged since President Joe Biden took office, and several prominent Democrats are now raising the issue thanks to voluntary busing programs by which immigrants have been transported from border states to cities including New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
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Republicans want to see more done on the border, all while some have grown more skeptical of continued funding to support the war in Ukraine.
Kirby’s answer could indicate the White House has an interest in funding for both but that the two are not of equal importance in the eyes of the Biden administration.