US Senate fails to pass Ukraine aid bill again - reasons are on the border with Mexico
This vote increases the likelihood that Congress will not be able to approve additional funding for Ukraine before the end of the year
Republicans in the U.S. Senate have blocked an attempt to pass a supplemental funding bill for fiscal year 2024 introduced by the administration of President Joe Biden, which, among other things, would have provided funds to help Israel and Ukraine.
Source. This was reported by the BBC.
The reason was disagreements with Democrats over measures to strengthen the border with Mexico and tighten immigration policy.
The $110 billion package included $61 billion in appropriations related to Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as funds for Israel, aid to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and a set of measures to strengthen the southern border of the United States.
The vote, which was largely along party lines, increases the likelihood that Congress will not be able to approve additional funding for Ukraine before the end of the year.
As a result of the procedural vote, 51 senators voted against and 49 for further discussion of the bill. At least 60 votes out of 100 are required to start discussing the document.
In exchange for their support of the bill, Republicans in both houses of Congress demanded tighter control of the southern border of the United States and decisive reforms in asylum rules and immigration control, which complicated negotiations with Democrats.
Most Republicans in both houses of Congress support continued assistance to both Ukraine and Israel, but many are angry about the White House's "inaction on border control," which has resulted in the arrival of several million undocumented migrants since Joe Biden became president in 2021.
Many Republican congressmen are also irritated that the Biden administration has not articulated a clear US strategy in the Russia-Ukraine war, and they are pushing the White House for more accountability for US taxpayer funds headed to Ukraine.
A letter to the U.S. administration from a group of Republican lawmakers in early November with 12 questions about the strategic goals of the war has not yet been answered.
As a result, all Republican senators voted against the bill, joined by independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who did not like the fact that the proposed package included billions of dollars in military aid to Israel.
"I don't believe we should be allocating more than $10 billion for the right-wing extremist Netanyahu government to continue with its current military approach," Sanders said, referring to the IDF military operation in the Gaza Strip, which has killed a large number of civilians.
The Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, also voted against the bill, which will allow the bill to be voted on again.
The White House warned that US funds for Ukraine could soon run out, and before the Senate vote, US President Joe Biden said he was ready to make "significant compromises on the border" to get the aid bill passed.
According to Joe Biden, senators should immediately approve the aid package. "Republicans in Congress are ready to give Putin the biggest gift he could ever hope for," Biden said.
Background. As a reminder, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the United States handed over "one of the last" aid packages to Ukraine yesterday, and that without additional funding, Washington would not be able to continue supporting Kyiv.
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