White House seeks $37.7 billion in aid for Ukraine, $10 billion for potential COVID subvariants

On Tuesday, the White House requested that Congress provide another $10 billion to fight COVID-19 and other infectious diseases due to reports of new subvariants and expected winter spike in infections. They also asked for a further $37.7 billion in support for Ukraine to aid them in their war against Russia.

Shalanda Young, who heads the White House budget office, made the emergency request as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to leave office.

Young wrote a letter to Pelosi saying that the White House is seeking funding to rebuild Florida, Puerto Rico and other communities impacted by Hurricane Ian.

“Staying ahead of COVID-19. Supporting Ukraine’s fight to defend its sovereignty. Helping Americans who have borne the brunt of natural disasters,” she said, according to CBS News. “The American people rightly expect their leaders to come together and deliver on these priorities.”

CBS reported that the funding for COVID will go towards stockpiling vaccines, developing vaccines for new subvariants and providing support to those suffering from long COVID. They have also requested $750 million for smallpox and monkeypox vaccines.

“While COVID-19 is no longer the disruptive force it was when the president took office, we face the emergence of new subvariants in the United States and around the world that have the potential to cause a surge of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, particularly as we head into the winter months — a time when viruses like COVID-19 spread more quickly,” Young wrote. 

Young said in relation to the $37.7 billion request for Ukraine: “Since the beginning of Putin’s war, the United States has rallied the world to support Ukraine. Together, with strong, bipartisan support in the Congress, we have provided significant assistance that has been critical to Ukraine’s success on the battlefield — and we cannot let that support run dry.”