Today, American author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance is circulating a memo among conservative policy experts and lawmakers calling for create separate bills for foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine.
Proponents of the idea claim it could help keep both issues from getting tangled up and that this structure could benefit both countries by solving important foreign policy objectives.
In the memo, J.D. Vance draws attention to the current state of foreign aid in the U.S., noting that typically, assistance packages to both countries are “bundled” and voted on as one piece of legislation.
Vance writes that the approach of lumping together foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel into one vote detracts from healthy debate and contributes to “misguided narratives” that paint both countries and their interests as a single bloc.
He goes on to explain that the bundling of these two issues into one vote also encourages politicians adopting an “all or nothing” attitude. This proves problematic for both Ukraine and Israel, as they potentially lose out on the support they may need this.
Vance’s proposal has attracted significant support among conservative policy analysts, who believe it is a positive move that could help both nations.
Analysts have pointed out that such an arrangement could help diffuse tension and improve the chances of finding long-term resolutions to both conflicts. Moreover, it would be beneficial to the United States, as the divided effort could encourage increased bipartisan support for the assistance packages.
Despite this positive reception for the proposal, some have expressed doubts over the feasibility of the idea. These critics contend that Congress is unlikely to pass separate votes on the two issues, particularly given the clouds of increasing tension that linger over both conflicts.
Time will tell if J.D. Vance’s proposal will come to fruition, but one thing is certain: it has opened up the conversation around foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel, and the attention it has received from policy analysts is surely a good sign.