The US Senate last night gave the go-ahead for a national security bill that provides $60.1 billion to help Kiev fight Russian aggression, $14.1 billion for Israel’s war against Hamas, and nearly $10 billion. dollars for humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, writes the New York Times. The bill was passed by 67 to 27 votes.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that the eyes of the world are on the US Senate today,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He pointed out that US allies “cannot afford the luxury of pretending that the world’s most dangerous aggressors are someone else’s problem”. “We can’t afford it either,” McConnell stressed.
House Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Republicans who supported the measure for “working in good faith.” In his words, for decades, Congress has not considered a bill that has such a significant impact not only on the national security of the United States and its allies, “but also on the very security of Western democracy.”
But the bill still faces serious hurdles in the Republican-led House of Representatives, where the text will face stiff opposition from congressmen who support Donald Trump, The New York Times notes.
The bipartisan support in the Senate came amid fierce opposition from some Republican hardliners, who believe the U.S. should stop giving tens of billions of dollars to bolster Ukraine’s security, especially since it has not done enough to protect its own. border with Mexico. That argument was raised at yesterday’s debate, and last week hard-line Republicans voted against a version of the bill that included protection of the southern border, saying it was not deep enough, the New York Times recalled.
Many Republicans also oppose billions of dollars in humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, as well as $7.9 billion in economic support to maintain Ukraine’s domestic infrastructure during the war. The outlet quoted Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who said yesterday on Fox News Sunday: “For four months, we promised the American people that we would secure our own border before we focused on the borders of other countries.”
Eighteen Republican senators joined the Democrats in yesterday’s vote, which can be seen as a rebuke to former President Donald Trump’s ironic remarks about NATO, writes in today’s edition of the Washington Post.
The newspaper recalled Trump’s words to his supporters in South Carolina that he would “encourage [Русия] to do whatever he wants” with alliance countries that do not spend enough money on defense.
Mark R. Warner, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the speech in question “frankly frightening.” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said that Trump is “signaling” to Putin that if he becomes president of the United States again, he will “hand over” Ukraine to him. “Everything Trump says guarantees that this war will continue at least until the next election,” Murphy added.
Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator, told reporters that it was inappropriate to suggest that NATO allies be “thrown to the Russian wolves.”
At the same time, several Republicans expressed disbelief that Trump actually meant to support an attack on a NATO ally, the Washington Post notes. According to them, the former US president was simply encouraging some countries to pay their share. “Any attack on a NATO ally would have devastating consequences for the American men and women sent to defend them,” said Republican Senator Tom Tillis. “I don’t think he’s going to withdraw from NATO,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally. “I think he’s trying to make a point. I’m not worried at all,” she stressed.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul said he would delay passage of the foreign aid bill as much as possible. “We don’t have $100 billion to give to anybody,” Paul said, referring to the US debt. Senator Bernie Sanders was the only member of the Democratic caucus who yesterday voted against the aid, according to the Washington Post. Sanders argued with the high number of casualties among the civilian population and the humanitarian disaster that is growing in the Gaza Strip.
“I’m speechless,” Sanders said Friday, as quoted in today’s edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “This is American complicity at its worst /…/. Does the United States Congress really want to provide more military aid to Netanyahu so he can exterminate thousands and thousands more men, women and children,” he asked se the Democratic senator.
Due to the lack of agreement by all senators, the bill must be voted on again tonight. There are still 60 hours of debate before the final vote, which is likely to take place on Wednesday morning, the Washington Post said.
#aid #bill #Ukraine #Israel #received #support #Senate
