The Senate passed a long-awaited foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel early Tuesday, with bipartisan support for the bill after months of negotiations, dire battlefield warnings and political mudslinging. However, the bill faced fierce opposition in the House, and Republican resistance threatened to kill it.
The 70-29 vote reflected overwhelming support in Congress for the $95 billion emergency aid bill and continued arms deliveries to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. The measure would provide Kiev with an additional $60.1 billion, bringing the total investment in the U.S. war effort to more than $170 billion, as well as $14.1 billion for Israel's war against Hamas, Nearly $10 billion will be provided in humanitarian assistance to civilians. In Gaza.
But it also divided Republicans and foreshadowed a difficult road ahead in the Republican-led House, where the speaker signaled late Monday that he would not act on it.
Twenty-two Senate Republicans voted in favor of the bill along with nearly all Democrats, five more than they needed to get past the final procedural hurdle Monday night, while the rest of the party voted in favor of the bill. He opposed continuing to fund foreign fights to protect the United States. It is cracking down on migrants crossing the border with Mexico and entering the United States.
The vote came after an all-night Senate session in which a parade of Republican opponents gave speeches denouncing various aspects of the bill.
Republican hostility to the bill has been stoked by former President Donald J. Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who encouraged Republican senators to reject an earlier version that included a bipartisan border security agreement.
“From the beginning of the debate, House Republicans have been clear that the so-called National Security Supplement Act must recognize that national security begins at our own borders,” Johnson said in a statement Monday night. He further added: Even once we receive border policy changes from the Senate, the House will have to continue working on these important issues on its own. ”
His comments suggested the only path for a foreign aid bill to pass the House may be for a bipartisan coalition like the Senate to take unusual steps to force action.
“If we want the world to remain a safe place for freedom, democratic principles, and future prosperity, America must lead the way. And with this bill, the Senate recognizes American leadership. We are unwavering, unflinching, and committed to continuing.'' Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and majority leader, said, “This vote represents the strong bipartisanship we have in this Senate. With support, I have faith that Speaker Johnson will bring this bill to the House.” It would pass if it had the same bipartisan support. ”
A majority of Republicans in Congress have rejected the measure, reflecting a shift from the party's traditional hawkish positions and beliefs in projecting American power and democratic principles around the world.
Mr. Trump, in particular, has strongly opposed this bill since his election campaign. In recent days, he has taken to social media to argue that it is “stupid” for the U.S. to offer foreign aid instead of loans, calling out Russia for NATO countries that have not spent enough money on their countries. He encouraged them to “do whatever they want.” own defense.
The pressure did little to weaken the Republican coalition that voted plurally to advance the aid bill.
The task will be tougher in the Republican-led House of Commons, where Mr. Johnson controls the chamber and right-wing lawmakers have signaled they will even block votes on bills they oppose. Still, if supporters can muster enough support from Democrats, mainstream Democrats, and national security-focused Republicans who oppose Trump and the far-right, they could bypass opposition through a maneuver called a discharge petition. right. This allows lawmakers to force the bill to a vote if they can gather signatures from a majority of the House of Representatives (218 people) to submit the bill.
Republicans who supported the bill in the Senate argued that its passage was essential to maintain America's international standing as a guardian of Western-style democracies against threats from authoritarian regimes. They held up the Ukraine war as an important test of whether Washington was serious about confronting aggressors like Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, said of Ukraine's war effort: “If this situation continues for the next few years, President Putin is going to lose.” He argued that supporting Kiev could weaken Mr. Putin's grip on power, arguing: “It's definitely worth $60 billion or $600 billion to get rid of Mr. Putin.”
Tillis also rejected the idea that skepticism about the bill by Republican voters was the reason for his opposition.
“When people use the base as a reason to say they have to oppose the base, I go home and say, show respect for the base, dispel the rumors, and talk about the facts,” he said. . “And there's no problem with the base.”
Many Republican opponents cited the United States' lack of strict border restrictions. But they also led a charge last week to invalidate a bill that combined tighter border enforcement with aid, including tightening asylum laws, increasing detention capacity and speeding up deportations.
“A literal invasion is coming across our border,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said on the floor Monday. “And all they had time in the Senate was to collect the money, get the cash pallets, load the plane, get the champagne and fly to Kiev.”
Other Republicans argued it would be foolish to send tens of billions more dollars to Ukraine and questioned whether Kiev could gain an advantage over Russia.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Putin “is an evil war criminal, but he will not lose,” adding, “The continuation of this war is destroying Ukraine.”
And Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, said in a memo to colleagues that the entire bill is designed to undermine Trump's ability to cut aid to Kiev if he wins a future election. He suggested that there was.
“This addendum represents an attempt by the foreign policy bloc/deep state to prevent President Trump from pursuing the policies he desires,” Vance wrote, adding that Democrats have “impeached President Trump and removed his administration.” “We are trying to provide a basis for weakening it,” he added.
Several Senate Democrats also opposed the bill.
“If Israel is using bombs and shells indiscriminately against Palestinian civilians, we must not send more bombs and shells,” Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a statement Monday night. I cannot vote for it.” He joined independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Sanders usually votes Democratic, but his opposition to Israel's actions against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip led him to break away from the party.
Democratic leaders warned Republicans on Monday that voting against the foreign aid bill would only help Russia hurt Ukraine on the battlefield and come back to haunt them.
Republicans have said for months that they would not vote for military aid to Ukraine unless Congress or President Biden take steps to crack down on the surge of migrants crossing the southwest border. But as the border bill's defeat refocused the debate over Ukraine, some Republicans reversed course and joined in supporting support for Kiev.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and minority leader, said Sunday that it has become “very prevalent in some circles to ignore the global interests we have as a world power and to bemoan the responsibilities of world leaders.” “We know there are,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky and the minority leader, said on the floor Sunday, denying this. the anti-Ukrainian faction of his party; “This is the idle work of lazy minds and has no place in the United States Senate.”
