Ukraine’s war with Russia enters third year (representative)
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved long-delayed war funding for Ukraine, part of a foreign aid package that right-wing House Speaker Mike Johnson said his Republican-led chamber would reject.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been negotiating the national security measure for months, but strong opposition from presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his allies in Congress still threatens the measure’s failure.
The $95 billion package includes funding for Israel’s military and key strategic ally Taiwan, but the largest portion, $60 billion, will help Ukraine replenish depleted ammunition supplies, weapons and other critical needs as its war with Russia continues. Entering its third year
The bill came up for a vote in the Senate early Tuesday morning and easily passed 70-29 with bipartisan support, the latest effort to salvage President Joe Biden’s tortuous Western policy response to Russia’s attack on democratic Ukraine. .
A previously negotiated Senate bill also includes tough new U.S. border protections aimed at stemming the influx of Mexican migrants into the U.S. — a demand from Republicans who say they won’t help without first focusing on the situation at home. Ukraine. question.
However, congressional Republicans led by Trump subsequently vetoed the bill, sending the Legislature into chaos.
Johnson said late Monday that even if Senate Republicans support the Ukraine bill, House Republicans will not follow suit — unless it again comes with border control measures.
“House Republicans have been clear from the beginning of this discussion that any so-called supplemental national security legislation must recognize that national security begins at our own borders,” Johnson said in a statement.
Although Johnson previously rejected the Senate’s first bill, which included the toughest immigration restrictions in decades, he said it was not enough.
Republicans’ actions to block border measures and Ukraine aid from passing Congress follow in the footsteps of Trump, who has promoted the border issue while opposing help for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Senate Democrats, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have now passed the foreign aid bill and sent it to the House, setting up a major showdown over the issues.
“Today we have (Russian President) Vladimir Putin regretting the day he questioned America’s resolve,” Schumer said on the Senate floor, adding that if Johnson allowed the bill to advance to the House floor for a vote, “it would Passed with equally strong support from both parties.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for the progress of the aid measure despite its uncertain fate in the House of Representatives, taking to social media to thank “the support in our fight for freedom, democracy and the values we hold.” Every U.S. Senator who continues to provide aid to Ukraine” Dear. “
Republican Party Split
Republicans are deadlocked on the bill because of disunity within the party and the right’s desire to keep the border an open issue until the election.
Given Trump’s dominance of the party, that means Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell must resort to unruly methods to drum up support during the overnight debate ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
McConnell urged his colleagues to reject the isolationist approach favored by Trump and consider the message it would send if the United States did not support Ukraine and other democracies.
“Our adversaries want the United States to decide that strengthening our allies and partners is not in our interests and that investing in strategic competition is not worth it,” McConnell said in a statement after Tuesday’s vote.
“Today, history will record that the Senate did not blink an eye when it came to the value of American leadership and strength.”
Trump’s aides in the Senate, however, have only highlighted the divisions among Republicans and how a key faction in the party is turning inward.
Senator J.D. Vance, a staunch supporter of Trump, said on Channel It’s continuing.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
