A national security analyst from The Heritage Foundation says the foreign aid package signed by President Biden Wednesday is sending the wrong message to Communist China.
The $95 billion package passed the House Saturday, and after much consideration, passed the Senate Tuesday. Mr. Biden signed the measure Wednesday.
“Simply put, Congress’ latest foreign aid package does the opposite of what it says it does, namely deter China. In reality, it does not advance American interests and emboldens our top adversary,” said Victoria Coates, vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation.
Ms. Coates, the former deputy national security advisor to former president Donald Trump, argued that Beijing will view the package as a “victory [because] it advances their goals to become the world’s hegemon and undermine U.S. interests.”
She said the $60 billion allotted for Ukraine is a win for China because it ensures that the U.S. is the sole funder of Ukraine, which “saddles” taxpayers with more debt.
Sending money to Israel and including $9 billion for Palestinians puts the country at risk of funding terrorists and shows that the U.S. is trying to “play both sides,” according to Ms. Coates.
She also pointed out that the package secures more money to help Palestinians than it does for the Indo-Pacific, “which indicates that the U.S. believes that countering Communist China is less of a priority than providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.”
Ms. Coates took the biggest issue with the lack of money secured for the southern border, and specifically pointed to “the exponential surge in illegal military-age Chinese males” who have tried to enter the U.S.
Mr. Biden praised the package after he signed the measure.
“It’s an investment in our own security because when our allies are stronger… we are stronger,” Mr. Biden said.
He vowed that he would work to get a border bill through Congress.