Republicans are ripping President Joe Biden for attempting to tie U.S. disaster relief to Ukraine funding, asserting that the president is holding Americans “hostage.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is leading the charge, urging Congress to separate disaster relief in the U.S. from billions more in aid to Ukraine.
Biden this week was originally expected to request more aid for Ukraine, with a figure “north of $10 billion.” Indeed, according to the Associated Press (AP), Biden requested over $13 billion in “emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year.”
The $40-billion aid package includes $12 billion for disaster relief in the U.S. as well, triggering concerns among Republicans and prompting Rubio, who tends to support aid to Ukraine with more oversight, to take action.
“President Biden is holding Floridians and other Americans hostage by tying critical domestic disaster relief to foreign military…