USA: Senate approves millionaire aid package for Ukraine and Israel; fate in the House is uncertain

The vote came after a small group of Republicans opposed to the $60 billion for Ukraine held the Senate floor all night, using the final hours of the debate to argue that The United States should focus on its own problems before sending more money abroad. But 22 Republicans voted with nearly all Democrats to approve the package by a vote of 70-29, with supporters arguing that abandoning Ukraine could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and threaten national security around the world.

“With this bill, the Senate declares that American leadership will not falter, will not falter, will not fail,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who worked closely with Republican leader Mitch McConnell on the legislation.

The approval of the law in the Senate was a positive sign for Ukraine at a time of critical shortages on the battlefield.

However, the package faces a very uncertain future in the House, where hardline Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump – the favorite for the GOP presidential nomination, and a critic of support for Ukraine – oppose it. the legislation.

Will aid pass the Republican wall in the House?

House Speaker Mike Johnson cast new doubt on the package in a statement Monday night, making clear that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to President Joe Biden's desk, if ever. it does.

Still, the vote was a victory for the two Senate leaders. Schumer highlighted the strong bipartisan support and predicted that if the speaker of the House of Representatives introduces it, he will have the same support in that chamber. McConnell has made Ukraine his top priority in recent months, and stood firm in the face of considerable opposition from his own Republican conference.

History will record that the Senate did not blink

“History settles all accounts,” the veteran Republican leader said in a statement after the law's approval. “And today, on the value of American leadership and strength, history will record that the Senate did not bat an eyelid.”

The dollars provided by the legislation would buy American-made defense equipment, including munitions and air defense systems that officials say are desperately needed as Russia batters the country.

It also includes $8 billion for the kyiv government and other aid.

“For us in Ukraine, continued US aid helps save human lives from Russian terror,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on social media. “It means that life will continue in our cities and triumph over war.”

Besides, The legislation would provide $14 billion for Israel's war against Hamas, $8 billion for Taiwan and its partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, and $9.2 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza..

Progressive lawmakers have opposed sending offensive weapons to Israel, with two Democrats, Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Peter Welch of Vermont, as well as independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, voting against it.

“I cannot in good conscience support sending billions of additional taxpayer dollars to Prime Minister Netanyahu's military campaign in Gaza,” Welch said. “It is a campaign that has killed and injured a shocking number of civilians. It has created a massive humanitarian crisis.”

Passage of the bill came after nearly five months of tortuous negotiations on a sweeping bill that would have combined foreign aid with an overhaul of border and asylum policies. Republicans demanded this compensation, arguing that the increase in immigration into the United States had to be addressed along with the security of allies.

However, the bipartisan agreement on border security collapsed within days of its presentation, causing deep frustration among negotiators. Republicans declared the bill insufficient and blocked it on the Senate floor.

After their failure, the two leaders abandoned the border provisions and moved forward with the approval of the foreign aid package alone, as the Democrats originally intended.

War in Ukraine generates deep divisions

Although the scaled-down foreign aid bill ultimately won broad GOP support, several Republicans who had previously expressed support for Ukraine voted against it. The episode further highlighted divisions in the party, which became more public as Trump dug in and a handful of lawmakers openly called for McConnell to resign.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, argued that the United States should withdraw from the conflict and help negotiate its end with Russia's Putin. He questioned the wisdom of continuing to fuel Ukraine's defense when Putin appears committed to fighting for years.

“I think it has to do with the reality we live in, which is that they are a more powerful country, and it is their region of the world,” he said.

Vance, along with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and other opponents, spent several hours on the floor railing against the aid and complaining about the Senate process. They barricaded themselves to delay the final vote, speaking in the chamber until dawn.

Aid supporters counterattacked, warning that giving in to Russia would be a historic mistake with devastating consequences. In an unusual exchange of opinions, GOP senators who support aid challenged some opponents directly on the floor.

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis angrily disputed some of their arguments, pointing out that the money would only help Ukraine for less than a year and that much of it would go toward replenishing US military reserves.

“Why am I so focused on this vote?” Tillis said. “Because I don't want to appear in the pages of history that we will regret if we walk away. We will see the alliance that supports Ukraine crumble. Ultimately, China will be emboldened. And I am not going to be in that page of history.”

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., became emotional as he talked about the monotony of the Senate and spending time away from his family to do little. “But from time to time we are presented with questions that seem to explain why we are here,” he said, his voice breaking.

Moran conceded that the cost of the package weighed on him, but noted that if Putin were to attack a NATO member in Europe, the United States would be bound by treaty to become directly involved in the conflict, a commitment that Trump has questioned as he seeks another term. in the White House.

Trump's warning to NATO echoes on Capitol Hill

At a rally on Saturday, Trump said he had once told a NATO ally that he would encourage Russia to “do whatever they want” to members who are “delinquent” on their commitments to the alliance.

The former president has moved his party away from foreign policy doctrines of aggressive U.S. involvement outside its borders and toward “America First” isolationism.

Evoking the slogan, Moran said: “I believe in America first, but unfortunately America first means we have to get involved in the world.”

In the House of Representatives, many Republicans have opposed the aid and are unlikely to cross paths with Trump, but some key GOP lawmakers have signaled they will push for its passage.