Amended Senate Ukraine Package: $100 Million in Aid to Ukraine (H.R. 4152)

What is H.R. 4152?

(Updated July 13, 2017)

This bill was enacted on April 9, 2014

Provides loan guarantees of up to one billion dollars to Ukraine, and direct assistance of $100 million. Supports democratic Ukraine's desire for independence. Condemns Russian military intervention in Crimea. Makes Russia's continued participation in the G-8 dependent on respecting neighbors' borders. Assists Ukraine in asset recovery efforts stemming from government corruption. Imposes sanctions on Russian officials, banks, and other state agencies. 

This is the amended version of s2124, and does not contain the IMF provisions that Obama and Senate Democrats wanted but House Republicans did not. The bill was introduced on 3/12 and passed Senate on 3/24, but was withdrawn the next day by Majority Leader Harry Reid. The IMF reforms were removed, and the bill sent back to the House as HR4152, the bill that the House initially passed on 3/6/14.  The House passed this version of the bill on 3/27/14. 

Additionally, the House passed hr4278, which added another $50 million in aid to Ukraine, bringing the total amount of direct U.S. aid to $150 million. 

Argument in favor

Supports democracy and independence in Ukraine by providing many different forms of assistance. Condemns Russian military actions against neighboring nation-states and regions.

Argument opposed

While all branches of government are in agreement in providing support for Ukraine, there is partisan disagreement to the role of IMF funds/reforms and their relationship to the aid package. For more, see below.

Impact

Impacts federal budget, aid to Ukraine, and economic and diplomatic relationship between U.S. and Russia.

Cost of H.R. 4152

The CBO estimates a cost of $373 million between 2014 and 2024, with an estimated Congressional budget authority of $1.26 billion over the same period.

Additional Info

Media: 

Bloomberg: Senate and House Reach Deal on Ukraine Aid

Of Note: 

This is the first version of the House aid package. The House's new version is H.R. 4278. The sticking point here were reforms to the International Monetary Fund. These reforms would have shifted billions of dollars into the general money pool of the IMF. Democrats were for this, saying it would make more money available for Ukraine. Republicans argued that the reforms would leave the U.S. paying more in to the IMF while simultaneously ceding power to other developing nations like India and Brazil. Majority Leader Reid dropped the language boosting an increase in the U.S.'s share for the IMF sought by Senate Democrats and Obama.