Nathan Howard/Reuters
U.S. Capitol on February 9, 2024.
The Senate is considering a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill that includes aid to Ukraine and Israel over the weekend, but a final vote is still days away as Republican Sen. Rand Paul continues to delay the process. there is a possibility.
The chamber passed the critical 60-vote threshold for passage of the bill on Thursday, held another procedural vote on Friday night, and held a floor debate on the bill on Saturday.
But absent an agreement among all 100 senators to speed up the process and pass the bill quickly, the Senate is expected to continue its work Sunday afternoon and take a final vote sometime during the week. Another procedural vote is expected on Sunday to advance the bill toward final passage.
If the bill ultimately passes the Senate, it will then go to the House, but it is unclear when or if Speaker Mike Johnson will vote on the bill. Many House Republicans oppose further aid to Ukraine.
The timing of Sunday's vote could come right before the Super Bowl, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has set up a table and television outside the Senate chamber in case the chamber is in session when the Chiefs-49ers game begins. Preparations are underway by setting up a new room. Sunday evening in Las Vegas.
“I can't remember the last time the Senate was in session for the Super Bowl on Sunday,” Schumer said. “But as I've said all week, we're going to keep working on this bill until the job is done.”
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on CBS' “Face the Nation” that he believes the Senate could pass a bill that includes funding for Ukraine by early to mid-week.
Lawmakers are considering a foreign aid bill after Republicans blocked a sweeping bill that would combine foreign aid with a bipartisan border agreement. Republicans initially pushed for border security to be included in the bill, but continued to reject bipartisan agreement after strong attacks on the bill from former President Donald Trump and House Republican leaders.
The former president also wrote on Truth Social on Saturday that the United States should stop providing foreign aid unless it is structured as a loan, indicating he is putting political pressure on Republicans to repeal the bill.
Additional procedural votes are scheduled ahead of the final vote on the foreign aid package, including one on Sunday.
“I think we should stay here as long as time allows,” Paul told CNN's Manu Raju on Thursday. “If it takes a week or a month, we'll force them to stay here to discuss why we think the Ukrainian border is more important than the U.S. border.”
J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer walked to meet reporters at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
Senate Republicans are currently divided over the foreign aid package, with some calling for amendments to the bill, including adding measures related to immigration and border policy.
Schumer said Democrats hope to reach an agreement with Republicans on the amendment, although it's not clear whether a deal will be reached.
The foreign aid package includes billions of dollars for aid to Ukraine, security assistance to Israel, and humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Ukraine.
According to the Senate Appropriations Report, the bill includes $60 billion to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, $14.1 billion in security assistance to Israel, $9.2 billion in humanitarian assistance, and $48 billion to support regional partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Includes billions of dollars. Committee.
As the Senate continues to consider the bill over the weekend, supporters are urging lawmakers to approve an amendment that would give Afghans displaced during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan a path to permanent U.S. residency.
The amendment was introduced Friday by Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, and states that it would “ensure that Afghanistan's allies live in the United States after a thorough review.” “We will allow them to apply for permanent residence in order to establish a permanent residence.” ” according to a news release from Klobuchar.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas supports the amendment for the changes he wants. It is also unlikely that senators will reach bipartisan agreement on a vote on the amendment.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN's Haley Britzkey contributed to this report.
