White House ramps up pressure on House speaker to keep Ukraine aid, disaster funding tied together - CNN

That's according to CNN, Ukrinform reports.

The push comes as tension among GOP congressmen is mounting while lawmakers face a deadline to avoid a government shutdown. The White House has called on Congress to pass a short-term spending bill to keep the government running while congressional leaders resolve major differences.

“Like Senate Republicans, Speaker McCarthy should keep his word about government funding. And he should do so in a way that acts on these pressing issues – including fentanyl, national security and disaster response – rather than break his promise and cave to the most extreme members of his conference agitating for a baseless impeachment stunt and shutdown,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told CNN.

The White House is also pressing Congress to fulfill Biden’s supplemental funding request, which asks for more than $24 billion in additional funding to support Ukraine and $16 billion in disaster relief funds.

While the White House wants those two funding items passed together, McCarthy is considering breaking them apart, according to GOP sources, setting up a showdown not just with the White House but also with Senate Republicans.

Leaders in the Senate want to see the Ukraine aid and disaster relief funding tied to a short-term funding resolution, but the GOP remains sharply divided on Ukraine aid as some hardliners in the House have demanded it be stripped out.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Pentagon announced a new defense assistance package for Ukraine worth a total of $600 million under the Ukraine Security Assistance Package. According to a statement posted on the Pentagon's website, the capabilities in this announcement include equipment to sustain and integrate Ukraine's air defense systems, additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 105mm artillery rounds, electronic warfare and counter-electronic warfare equipment, demolition munitions for obstacle clearing, mine clearing equipment, and support and equipment for training, maintenance, and sustainment activities.