WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Facing a likely roadblock from House Republicans on , President Joe Biden said Wednesday he鈥檚 planning to give a major speech on the issue and suggested there may be 鈥渁nother means鈥� to provide support for Kyiv if Congress continues to balk.
鈥淚'm going to be announcing very shortly a major speech I鈥檓 going to make on this issue and why it鈥檚 critically important for the United States and our allies that we keep our commitment鈥� to Ukraine, told reporters after giving unrelated remarks at the White House.
White House officials declined to say when Biden planned to give his speech. The president did not elaborate on the alternate method he was looking at to get additional military aid to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
鈥淭here is another means by which we may be able to find funding, but I鈥檓 not going to get into that right now,鈥� he said.
Aid for Ukraine has been a source of tension and uncertainty as several Republicans in the House have severe doubts or openly oppose additional funding to sustain the Ukrainian military.
The president said the resistance does 鈥渨orry鈥� him, but he noted that there is broad bipartisan support. Still, to keep the government open through mid-November excluded the $13 billion in supplemental aid that the Biden administration sought last month, raising questions about just how long the U.S. could continue to send money to Ukraine.
The agreement to temporarily keep the U.S. government open came at a steep political price for former , R-Calif. At the instigation of , R-Florida, and other conservatives, McCarthy on Tuesday became the first speaker to be .
After Biden spoke, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during the Wednesday news briefing that Biden was 鈥渃onfident鈥� Ukraine aid would approved because there is broad bipartisan support. But she noted the objections by some House Republicans were an obstacle to the United States' work with allies to support Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022.
鈥淲hen you have a small fraction of a party that is causing that type of chaos, you know, it doesn鈥檛 look great across the globe,鈥� Jean-Pierre said. 鈥淭hat doesn't look very promising.鈥�
Biden held a call Tuesday with to say the U.S. government still supported Ukraine
Chris Megerian And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
