White House wants Congress to spend six times more on Ukraine than border, fentanyl crisis in new request

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The Biden administration is requesting Congress spend six times more on supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia than on the border and fentanyl crisis plaguing the nation, according to a new emergency spending request submitted Thursday.

In the request sent to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Biden specifically called for $24 billion in aide to Ukraine, split between $13 billion for defense related spending, and $11 billion in economic and humanitarian assistance.

But Biden only requested $4 billion in spending on the border and immigration, as well as combating fentanyl flowing into the United States from foreign origins. The total combined amount of the request reached roughly $40 billion.

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When reached for comment, a senior administration official with the Department of Homeland Security said the package "reflects urgent needs through the end of the year both with respect to national security and critical domestic areas like disaster relief and border management." 

"The Administration is grateful for the strong bipartisan support for Ukraine since Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion, and we are confident that support will continue as we work together to support the Ukrainian people as they bravely stand up to Russia’s brutal war of aggression and defend their country," the official said.

"As it relates to the border, the supplemental funding request represents the resource requirements DHS believes are essential to manage the border through the end of the calendar year. Border dynamics are fluid and the Administration will continue to communicate with Congress as conditions evolve. These are both bipartisan issues that we believe will garner bipartisan support," they added.

The White House did not respond to Fox's request for comment.

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President Joe Biden gives his remarks as Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky stands on the side during G7 Declaration of Joint Support for Ukraine during the high level NATO summit in Litexpo Conference Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 12, 2023. (Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The additional spending request comes after Congress approved $48 billion in funding for Ukraine in December, prior to Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives.

Approval of the funding is expected to be an uphill battle in the House, where McCarthy has promised he would not bring a supplemental Ukraine funding bill to the floor. Many conservatives have been vocally opposed to giving Ukraine more money without more accountability.

Last month, 70 House Republicans voted for an amendment in the annual defense bill that would cut off all funding to Ukraine. It ultimately failed.

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Migrants wait in line adjacent to the border fence under the watch of the Texas National Guard to enter into El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File)

The request also comes as mass illegal crossings have continued to surge on Texas' border with Mexico, with all sectors either at overcapacity or about to hit the maximum number of immigrants they can hold.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection source told Fox News on Thursday that there are currently 19,400 migrants in Border Patrol custody, nationwide.

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Fox News Elizabeth Elkind, Bill Melugin and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.