The Senate on Feb. 11 moved closer to advancing a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan over opposition from conservative Republicans who say the U.S.–Mexico border should be secured before funds are given to overseas partners.
In a 67–27 vote, the $95.3 billion package moved a step closer to a final floor vote in the upper chamber, which is expected to occur later this week. If the bill is eventually passed by the full Senate, it would next go to the House.
The bill would provide more than $61 billion in assistance to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel in its war against Hamas, and $4.83 billion for Indo-Pacific partners, including Taiwan, to counter Chinese communist aggression.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) noted how rare it was for the chamber to have to work on Super Bowl Sunday, but argued that the matter is of critical importance.
“As we speak, [Russian President Vladimir Putin’s] invasion of Ukraine has rendered parts of Eastern Europe a war zone the likes of which we have not seen in those regions since the Second World War,” Mr. Schumer said.
“Ukraine is dangerously low on supplies, including ammo and air defenses. If America doesn’t assist Ukraine, Putin is all too likely to succeed.”
The bill’s advancement came days after Senate Republicans blocked another broader foreign aid package that included border security policies, which Republicans had sharply criticized for not doing enough to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.
Former President Donald Trump, who came out forcefully against the previous package, on Feb. 10 called for future foreign aid to be structured as loans.
“It can be loaned on extraordinarily good terms, like no interest and an unlimited life, but a loan nevertheless,” the former president and GOP frontrunner posted on Truth Social.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has vowed to delay the final vote on the package.
“It’s criminal neglect for Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, and [President] Joe Biden to get together to send $100 billion overseas to fix someone else’s border before addressing our border,” Mr. Paul said in a Feb. 9 interview on Fox Business.
Working with Mr. Paul was Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who spoke on the Senate floor for more than four hours on Feb. 10 in a bid to delay the latest procedural vote.
“Mr. President, we cannot send billions of dollars to Ukraine while America’s own borders are bleeding! This betrayal is all the more loathsome because it occurs at a time when the eyes of the nation are turned to sport and family and fun—as they should be,” Mr. Lee said in his opening remarks, referring to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
President Biden, who has been seeking the aid for months, on Feb. 9 said Congress would be guilty of “neglect” if it failed to pass the measure.
Even if the Senate passes the bill, it faces an unclear path in the House, where a growing number of Republicans are highly skeptical of Ukraine aid. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has a slim Republican majority, has indicated that he could try to split the aid provisions into separate measures once the bill arrives from the Senate.
But a stand-alone aid bill for Israel failed in the House last week after all Democrats voted against it in favor of the Senate Ukraine-border package, with help from conservative Republicans who opposed the lack of funding cuts to offset the aid.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Hundreds of billions to Iran and Russia in increased oil revenues while China buys American properties and businesses with the hundreds of Billions they got that should have stayed in the USA and gone into our own treasury in the form of taxed American produced goods, not sold cheap Chinese goods whose Congressional paid kickbacks gave jobs away in bribes. The debt that America owes the Democrat party is the national debt CREATED by the Democrat controlled Congress along with the self-enriching RINOs that support them, whose laundered money has become the filthy Lucre the weight of which is about to sink and bring down a formerly great nation. “Millions for defense, but not a cent for tribute.” Joe Biden,,,,the Tribune of tribute, leading a Democrat crime family of back-stabling Senators that make all America fear the coming Ides of March, American itself being the very un-American thing they are marching over and stomping our finances into the dirt. No foreign aid should be allowed if there is one dime of debt structured into our national budget. PAFA,,,,Pay Americans First AGAIN, and start with protecting OUR border, not subsidizing illegal people of illegality mindsets, be they Congressman or border jumpers seeking a way to eat free, creating no Sanctuary for honest taxpaying LEGAL citizens who just want to be left alone and safe in their own homes.
This bill is a democrat duck dodge and as corrupt and unhealthy for America as the duck dodging Bill found on Monica’s Lewinsky’s face. It all comes from the same morally corrupted human spirit that seeks immediate gratification over long term workable solutions.
Proverbs 15:17
“He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house;
but he that hates gifts shall live.”
Our current financial House America is a troubled land indeed, led by non-self-governing gift loving people who only look to receive, even when caught in the act of giving. Great games only end when “The Cheese stands alone” And cheezy Rinos all go home.
ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR Own border is left wide the hell open.
Makes perfect sense. Billions to protect the borders of other countries and none for our own.
That;s been the dems way for years.
43 trillion in debt and these worthless clowns keep giving our tax dollars away, time to show ALL OF THEM THE DOOR……..
I didn’t know we had an extra $94 Billions lying around. Man, I could use some of that for groceries.
I’ll wager one could build a pretty good wall out of the bales of money we give away every month.
I WANNA Know all 29 of the traitors, who voted with the dems on this…