Republicans are developing their own aid package for Ukraine - NBC News

Republicans are developing their own aid package for Ukraine - NBC News

House Republicans, Speaker Mike Johnson and the heads of key House national security committees are working to develop their own aid package for Ukraine.

This was reported by NBC News with reference to three informants.

Lawmakers hope the new bill can pass Congress without alienating conservatives who oppose further funding for Ukraine.

The plans are in early stages and are far from finalized, but pro-Ukraine Republicans want to be ready to pass legislation as soon as Congress approves another government funding bill on March 22.

Further waiting could push passage of critical aid for Ukraine into April, given the planned two-week Congressional recess at the end of March, two of the sources said.

Proposals under discussion include treating some of the nonmilitary aid as a type of loan, said House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, who is participating in the discussion, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina.

Economic assistance to support the overall functioning of the Government of Ukraine and its long-term recovery efforts under this plan will be subject to the terms of the loan. Russian assets seized by the US government due to sanctions can also be used as collateral.

Providing the loans as part of the package is intended to ease concerns among House conservatives who have criticized billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Ukraine and said they do not support continuing to send U.S. taxpayer dollars without a long-term plan to win the war.