- Senate passes Ukraine aid bill
- House opposition looms
- Border security debate intensifies
After months of political wrangling, the US Senate has approved a £75 billion foreign aid package; however, it faces significant opposition in the House.
Although Senate Democrats supported the bill’s passage, Republicans were divided and had previously opposed it.
£60 billion is allocated to Ukraine, £14 billion to Israel’s war against Hamas, and £10 billion to Gaza and other conflict zones for humanitarian assistance.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, however, indicated he might block it.
The Democratic-controlled Senate approved the package, which includes over £8 billion for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies, by a predawn vote of 70 to 29 on Tuesday.
In support of the legislation, twenty-two Republicans, led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, joined the opposing party.
Despite former President Donald Trump’s criticism of the measure for failing to provide adequate funding to secure the US-Mexico border, the bill received bipartisan support.
President Joe Biden, speaking from the White House on Tuesday afternoon, urged House Republicans to approve the measure.
“By supporting this measure, one confronts Putin. Mr Biden stated, “Opposing it is playing into Putin’s hands.” “History is watching.”
Senator McConnell of Kentucky issued the following statement after the vote: “History will record that the Senate did not waver today regarding the significance of American strength and leadership.”
The premier of Ukraine expressed “gratitude” to senators.
“Continuous US assistance helps save human lives in Ukraine from Russian terror,” stated President Volodymyr Zelensky on X, formerly Twitter.
Despite Ukrainian assaults in the south and Russian efforts to advance in the eastern Donbas region, the conflict has largely descended into a stalemate.
After Vladimir Putin’s pledge to “intensify” the assault, Kyiv officials are demanding additional military assistance, particularly new air defences.
But conservative Republicans have objected to the expenditure of billions of dollars overseas before addressing the migrant crisis at the southern border of the United States.
“Shouldn’t we try to fix our own country first?” Kentucky Senator Rand Paul stated on Monday.
Several Republican opponents, including himself, delivered speeches with the intention of impeding the measure’s passage.
A number of left-leaning legislators, such as Vermont independent Bernie Sanders and Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley, voted against the measure out of concern that it might support Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
Senate Republicans rejected the £118 billion package in a vote last week, leading to the aid measure’s muddled rendition.
Initially, Republicans insisted that any foreign aid be contingent on increased border security along the southern frontier.
However, following Mr Trump’s stance against the border provisions, the Republican Party became divided on the package.
Border Security Focus in Legislative Debate
Certain legislators speculate that the present iteration of the bill could reinstate border controls.
On Monday evening, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated in a statement that without such provisions, the new measure would fail to pass the lower chamber of Congress, which is controlled by the Republicans.
He stated that from the very outset of discussions, House Republicans were adamant that any so-called national security supplemental legislation must acknowledge that national security begins at our own border.
The congressman from Louisiana stated that to prioritise border security, legislators “should have gone back to the drawing board” with the legislation.
Mr Johnson and the Republican leadership of the House will be tasked with determining whether the package should be put to a vote in that chamber, amended and resubmitted to the Senate, or disregarded entirely.
Those House Republicans who support military assistance to Ukraine might decide to join the Democrats in submitting a discharge petition if this final option is implemented.
Using this uncommon parliamentary procedure could bypass Mr. Johnson and compel a vote.
Jeffries Pushes for Aid Measure
Hakeem Jeffries, minority leader of the Democratic House, vowed on Tuesday to “use every available legislative tool” in an effort to pass the measure.
He further stated that he believes the foreign aid measure has “more than 300 bipartisan votes” in the House.
However, some on the left may object to the package’s military aid for Israel, which would complicate a manoeuvre that would otherwise require the support of a majority in the House.
Mr Johnson stated that his legislature “will have to continue to work its own will on these crucial matters” following the Senate vote.
He might allocate the various components of aid individually or incorporate conservative immigration reforms from the United States.
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Challenges in Securing Ukraine Aid
However, it will be exceedingly difficult for Mr Johnson to persuade his minority in the House to follow his lead on aid to Ukraine, given the polarised nature of the issue.
Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democratic Senate, stated at a news conference on Tuesday that he hoped to persuade Mr Johnson of the critical nature of the House’s passage of the measure in the coming days through a conversation.
Earlier, the senator from New York applauded the bill’s passage, stating that it “told Putin he would regret the day he questioned America’s resolve.”
One of the main contributors of aid to Ukraine is the United States. A number of months ago, the White House requested that Congress adopt a bill that included foreign aid.
This may be the final opportunity for Congress to approve aid for Ukraine for the foreseeable future. Ukraine has issued a warning that without the support of the United States, it might not be capable of effectively defending itself against Russia.
