by Vee Hua 華婷婷
As attention has been diverted away from Ukraine in light of the Israel-Hamas war, President Joe Biden has faced opposition in securing additional proposed funding for Ukraine during its war with Russia. In mid-January — during a monthly meeting of 50 nations that meet regularly to coordinate support for Ukraine — additional domestic funding for Ukraine was unavailable for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, in part due to congressional opposition.
On Sunday, Feb. 4, the U.S. Senate released details of a $118.2 billion bipartisan bill that would primarily provide $60.1 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine and $14.1 billion to Israel, as well as $20.2 billion to increase security around the U.S. southern border. An additional $10 million would go to humanitarian aid in Ukraine and Gaza, and $2.4 million to defense operations in Taiwan and the Red Sea following the Houthi attacks on shipping vessels.
The bill differs from previous attempts, with its inclusion of border wall security, and comes amid mounting pressure for Biden to take a more hard-line stance on immigration. If passed, the bill would reform requirements around which migrants can claim asylum and would aim to speed up the asylum-seeking process, which can at times take years. It would also require portions of the border wall to be shut down if the number of migrants exceeds a specific threshold.
The proposed bill comes amid Biden's controversial comments around potentially shutting down the border. Last week, Biden stated, "A bipartisan bill would be good for America and help fix our broken immigration system and allow speedy access for those who deserve to be here, and Congress needs to get it done. It'll also give me, as president, the emergency authority to shut down the border until it could get back under control. If that bill were the law today, I'd shut down the border right now and fix it quickly."
Though the bill has bipartisan support from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, other Republicans have openly stated they will not vote for the bill, in part because of former President Trump's opposition to it and its potential to give Biden another bipartisan victory. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has called the bill "dead on arrival" and announced that he will release his own Israel funding package apart from Biden's proposal, which would provide $17.6 billion to Israel and add to the $14.3 billion in aid previously passed by the House.
Israel has received almost $300 billion in assistance from the United States between 1946 and 2023, making it the country with the largest cumulative foreign aid. The funding includes $200 billion to military aid through grants under the Foreign Military Financing program, which dictates that the funds must be used to purchase U.S. military equipment and services, though exceptions have allowed Israel to purchase from Israeli defense firms — a benefit other recipients of U.S. military aid have not received. The remaining $100 billion has gone toward economic aid. These amounts average to about $4 million annually.
The bill also comes after the United States stated it would cut funding for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), following Israel's initial claims that 12 UNRWA workers had been involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Twelve other countries followed suit, though five have since resumed funding to UNRWA, including Canada. UNRWA immediately announced that it would appoint an independent party to launch an investigation.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has stated that Israel has yet to provide evidence for the claims. On average, the United States typically provides $300 million to $400 million annually to UNRWA, as its largest donor. Over 150 UNRWA workers have been killed by Israeli attacks since Oct. 7. Since 1949, following the creation of Israel, UNRWA has provided assistance, education, health care, social services, and protection to Palestinians.
Effective as of Feb. 2, Seattle School Board Directors Vivian Song (District 4) and Lisa Rivera (District 2) have resigned from their roles. Their actions came abruptly last week and followed after changes in their residencies moved them out of their designated school districts. Though the school board had announced that both directors would still be able to legally serve in their positions even if they have moved out of their districts, the news had been met with pushback.
"We are in compliance with board policy and law," the two women wrote, according to reporting by The Seattle Times. "Legal counsel has advised Director Song that she can continue lawfully finishing her term. Nonetheless, after witnessing the manufactured distraction that others have leveraged because of Director Song's move, we've decided that we will not allow this unnecessary distraction to continue, and are thus both tendering our resignations, which we are doing concurrently to streamline the appointment process for our colleagues and minimize disruption when other important district decisions are on the horizon."
Their vacant positions will be open for applications "as soon as possible," according to Board President Liza Rankin, and will be posted on the school board's website.
Tilth Alliance is calling for those interested in waste reduction, healthy soil, compostables, recyclables, and water quality to apply to become a potential Master Composter or Sustainability Steward. Selected participants will take 12 classes and then be encouraged to take action in their communities.
The program is a part of Tilth Alliance's Sustainable Yard and Home Education program, which is managed in part by Seattle Public Utilities. Applications are open until Monday, Feb. 19, and can be found on the Tilth Alliance website. Questions can be directed to MCSS@TilthAlliance.org or 206-633-0097.
Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the editor-in-chief of REDEFINE, a long-time member of the Seattle Arts Commission, and a film educator at the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they previously served as executive director and played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences. After a recent stint as the interim managing editor at South Seattle Emerald, they are moving into production on their feature film, Reckless Spirits, which is a metaphysical, multilingual POC buddy comedy. They have a master's in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
📸 Featured Image: On May 9, 2023, days before the end of Title 42, migrants turned themselves in to U.S. Customs and Border Protection after a flyer was given out encouraging them to. Photo via Ruben2533/Shutterstock.com
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