Senate eyes new plan on Ukraine, Israel aid after collapse of border package
Forcing a showdown with Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will try Wednesday to salvage the wartime funding from a collapsed deal that had included border enforcement, pushing ahead on a crucial test vote for tens of billions of dollars for Kyiv, Israel and other U.S. allies.
With the border deal off, the New York Democrat planned to force Republicans to take two tough procedural votes. First, on the long-negotiated $118 billion package with border enforcement measures that collapsed this week after Republicans rejected it; then, for a modified package with the border portion stripped out. If either passes it would still take the Senate days to reach a final vote.
As some Republicans have grown skeptical of sending money to Ukraine in its war with Russia, Schumer said that 鈥渉istory will cast a permanent and shameful shadow鈥� on those who attempt to block it.
鈥淲ill the Senate stand up to brutish thugs like Vladimir Putin and reassure our friends abroad that America will never abandon them in the hour of need?鈥� Schumer asked as he opened the Senate.
The roughly $60 billion in Ukraine aid has been stalled in Congress for months because of growing opposition from hardline conservatives in the House and Senate who criticize it as wasteful and demand an exit strategy for the war.
鈥淲e still need to secure America鈥檚 borders before sending another dime overseas,鈥� Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah wrote in a post on X.
The impasse means that the U.S. has halted arms shipments to Kyiv at a crucial point in the nearly two-year-old conflict, leaving Ukrainian soldiers without ample ammunition and missiles as Russian President Putin has mounted relentless attacks.
Ukraine's cause still enjoys support from many Senate Republicans, including GOP leader Mitch McConnell, but the question vexing lawmakers has always been how to craft a package that could clear the Republican-controlled House.
A pairing of border policies and aid for allies 鈥� first proposed by Republicans 鈥� was intended to help squeeze the package through the House where archconservatives hold control. But GOP senators 鈥� some within minutes of the bill's release Sunday 鈥� rejected the compromise as election-year politics.
The wartime funding also includes $14 billion for Israel. It would invest in domestic defense manufacturing, send funding to allies in Asia, and provide $10 billion for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and other places.
Schumer said the revamped package would include legislation to authorize sanctions and anti-money laundering tools against criminal enterprises that traffic fentanyl into the U.S.
It was not clear whether the new plan, even if it passed the Senate, would gain support from House Speaker Mike Johnson. House Republicans are still insisting on a border plan, even though they rejected the deal negotiated in the Senate as insufficient.
鈥淲e'll see what the Senate does,鈥� Johnson told reporters Wednesday morning. 鈥淲e're going to allow the process to play out.鈥�
Some were skeptical that a standalone aid package would be viable in the House.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see how that moves in this chamber. I don鈥檛 know how the speaker puts that on the floor,鈥� House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said, adding that he still wanted tougher border policies attached.
After Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, eviscerated the Senate's bipartisan border proposal, Johnson quickly rejected it. Trump has also led many Republicans to question supporting Ukraine, suggesting he could negotiate an end to the war and lavishing praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin, including after Moscow鈥檚 February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Johnson said this week he wanted to handle wartime aid for Israel and Ukraine in separate packages, but a bill he advanced that only included funds for Israel failed on the House floor Tuesday night.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday that the 鈥渙nly path forward鈥� is a comprehensive approach that includes funding for U.S. allies around the world, as well as humanitarian support for civilians caught in conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
The White House said that President Joe Biden believes there should be new border policy but would also support moving the aid for Ukraine and Israel alone, as he has from the start.
鈥淲e support this bill which would protect America鈥檚 national security interests by stopping Putin鈥檚 onslaught in Ukraine before he turns to other countries, helping Israel defend itself against Hamas terrorists and delivering live-saving humanitarian aid to innocent Palestinian civilians," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates.
鈥淓ven if some congressional Republicans鈥� commitment to border security hinges on politics, President Biden鈥檚 does not.鈥�