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Report: Biden Weighing Use of State Department Grants to Afford Ukraine Aid

© Sputnik / Stringer / Go to the mediabankUS President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, the United States.
US President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, the United States. - Sputnik International, 1920, 06.10.2023
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A critical feature of the US government is the balance of powers. A major part of Congress, known as the legislative branch, is deciding what does, and does not, get funded.
The Biden administration is considering using a State Department grant to send aid to Ukraine after the president's funding request failed to get through Congress as part of the stopgap bill that temporarily averted a partial government shutdown.
The new findings come from two anonymous US officials speaking to a US media outlet. While making remarks on student loan aid on Wednesday, Biden promised a “major speech” on funding the Kiev regime and hinted he had “another” way to get funding to Ukraine without congressional approval.
“There is another means by which we may be able to find funding for that. But I’m not going to get into that now,” Biden said while promising more details during the speech.
According to one of the officials, the Biden administration is considering using a State Department program that provides financing for foreign governments buying US-made weapons known as the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. It typically provides loans or grants to foreign governments.
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The State Department has allocated $4.65 billion for the FMS program to support Ukraine and other countries impacted by the conflict. According to a State Department factsheet dated September 21, roughly $650 million of that allotment remains.
One official added that even if the Biden administration uses this method, they will still ask Congress for additional funding.
Last month, Biden requested $24 billion in additional funding for Ukraine. A smaller package was initially put into a stopgap funding bill intended to keep the government open while Congress debates a full funding bill. But that bill was unable to pass in the House of Representatives until the Ukraine funding was stripped out of it.
Rumors spread around Washington that then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made a “secret side deal” with Democrats on Ukraine funding to get the funding bill passed, which led Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to launch a successful motion to vacate the speakership.
As such, no bills, for funding Ukraine or otherwise, will be taken up until a new speaker is selected. House Republicans are expected to meet on October 11, when they are expected to discuss potential replacements. Sometime after that, a formal vote will be held in the House.
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On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to provide more details about the alternative funding method and said she had no new information about when Biden’s promised “major speech” would come.
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