WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate passed a national security supplemental funding package by a vote of 79-18.
“Today, the Senate passed critical national security and humanitarian supplemental funding, totaling $95 billion, for our partners and allies around the world, including investments directly in our own military capabilities as we respond to our allies’ needs. It advances our national security and demonstrates that the United States remains a reliable ally and ‘the indispensable nation.’ President Biden first requested this funding six months ago, the Senate first passed this package two months ago, and after months of delays by the House, I am relieved and grateful that there was ultimately a strong bipartisan vote in both the House and Senate.
“The funding package includes security assistance and economic support for Ukraine as its soldiers continue to combat Russian aggression and atrocities; supports the defense of our Israeli allies as they defend themselves against Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah; and provides additional assistance to our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific.
“Critically, the bill includes more than $9 billion in humanitarian assistance to confront the risk of famine and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, respond to the ongoing civil war raging in Sudan, fight the global food crisis and other needs driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and address the needs of other vulnerable populations. This is not only a moral obligation but a strategic necessity: Historic levels of human displacement resulting from conflict, climate change, and other natural and man-made disasters contribute to instability across the globe, affect the global economy, and have direct impacts here at home.
“The bill also provides additional funds to the World Bank to address the financing needs of the world’s poorest countries, adding to my efforts in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill – enacted into law in March – to provide more than $21 billion in financing across international financial institutions. These investments will not only contribute to the reduction of poverty around the world but reduce the need of partner countries to turn to predatory and coercive lending from China, and we need to build on these efforts in fiscal year 2025.
“While I am proud of what I was able to achieve with my colleagues in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill and this supplemental, more work remains to be done. I am disappointed that the enacted law does not include the $20 billion to address the border and combat fentanyl that was in the bipartisan Senate agreement from earlier this year. That deal also included important reforms to address our border security and broken immigration system, as well as the Afghan Adjustment Act, to ensure that we fulfill our promises to our Afghan allies.
“We must continue to build on these efforts and support President Biden’s leadership in strengthening our alliances and leveraging the contributions of other countries to address global challenges and opportunities.”
Senator Coons is Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.