By CASEY HARPER | THE CENTER SQUARE
The U.S. Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after days of delay from Republicans who did not want to pass the funding without provisions to secure the southern border.
The legislation passed early Tuesday morning after a filibuster largely led by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., ended.
Now the legislation goes to the House, where it remains unclear if they can get the votes.
“This morning the ‘America Last’ caucus got a $61 billion aid package out of the Senate. But they paid dearly for this small win. The House won’t pass the current bill,” Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday morning. “We must fix our country before devoting more resources to Ukraine. That’s our message, and the fight goes on.”
The bill includes $60 billion for Ukraine, about $14 billion for Israel and roughly $4 billion for the Indo-Pacific region, which will help Taiwan, a small but economically important island experts fear could be invaded by China at any time.
The bill also includes about $9 billion in humanitarian aid, much of it for Gaza. Republican critics of the bill were vocal after its passage, but it will likely have broad Democratic support, meaning only a portion of House Republicans will have to defect. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill if it makes it to his desk.
“Borrowing money from China to give it to Ukraine, at rising interest rates, does not make America stronger,” U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., wrote online. “I can’t even believe I have to say this.”
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the U.S for its support online Tuesday morning.
“The decision by the United States Senate to continue the support for our country and our warriors has been anticipated not only by us, but also by many other nations, particularly those in Europe,” Zelensky wrote on X. “The world is looking for American leadership to remain steadfast, help protect lives, and preserve freedom. “This truly contributes to confidence and motivation.”
Republican senators were nearly split in half on the vote, half in favor and half opposed. Both senators from Alaska voted in favor of the bill.
“In the early morning when nobody was watching, the Senate voted to plow another $60 billion of your money into Ukraine,” U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote on X. “Not a penny for Missouri. Not a penny for radiation victims. But the Big War machine gets its billions. What a betrayal.”
The vote came after a previous foreign aid bill failed last week. That $118 billion bill included a litany of border measures negotiated by Senate Republican leadership with Democrats.
When the text of the bill was released a little over a week ago, though, a large contingent of the Republican party immediately rejected the deal. The bill tightened restrictions on amnesty and put in place a measure to close the border immediately if it becomes overwhelmed.
Republicans said the bill included loopholes allowing the head of the Department of Homeland Security to grant asylum at large. They also said that the border is already overwhelmed and should be shut down immediately.
Former President Donald Trump warned Republicans, “don’t fall for it,” and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that bill would be dead on arrival.
Several Republican senators publicly critiqued the bill as well, helping kill the legislation almost immediately. After the failed border and foreign aid compromise, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., brought up the nearly $100 billion piece of legislation.
“With the passage of this national security bill, the Senate is telling Putin he will regret the day he questioned America’s resolve,” Schumer wrote on X. “With the passage of this national security bill, the Senate is sending a clear bipartisan message of resolve to our allies in NATO.”
Just like that the Democrats turned Alaska into to a blue state and didn’t even have to fire a shot!
Sullivan needs to be retired asap
Completely out of touch with what Americans want. They do not care what you think, they know better and will steal you money to do as they wish.
Both Senators need to go! Not a penny for Americas Borders or infrastructure. Just the Big Middle Finger. How much $$ in kickbacks to these Two?
I am doing all I can to get people to vote for their counterpart as I would rather have a democrats than a trader Republican with lame excuses for voting to spend money we don’t have but it’s not his so it’s ok.
They need to be the right dollars for the border Ken. This was a good move by Sully.
We need to replace Murkowski, Sullivan and Peltola as soon as possible. They don’t give a damn what people want, only what they want.
Of course they did. Did you really expect anything else? From the Senate or our Senators?
Murkowski and Sullivan voting yes should have been in the headline of this article. Instead you buried that deep and didn’t even mention them by name.
Gotta wonder whose side murky and Sullivan are on, money for other countries borders but not ours. Rino’s both let’s find two conservative candidates!
Lisa’s slime is sure rubbing off on Senator Dan.
It’s $14 billion for Israel so it can continue genocide in Gaza. And $9 billion for Gaza to clean up the genocide caused by Israel. WTF!!!
You need to actually look up the definition of genocide.
It’s not what you want it to mean.
Its the same bill that Rand Paul is against and it is a statement from Rand Paul that has merit. Last year and previous years we aided Israel far less than this bill. Last year is was a total of 238 million to Gaza. What did they do with the aid, nothing but materialize it to create a war with Israel. Now while the Palestinians are whining that they are being killed and boo-hooing the death of so many families and fighters, the dumb bell duo of Murkowski and Sullivan sign on to the bill to add more money to the Gaza problem to kill more Israel soldiers and the Americans that are still hostages of Hamas Palestinians. Sullivan quit the military so he is not under the Commander and Chief of this country. Now he takes a step with the terrorists of the world to kill Americans and those hostages still in captivity in Gaza that the Palestinian Hamas are holding So, why did Sullivan take the vote ? Lobby money and future campaigning.
““The world is looking for American leadership to remain steadfast, help protect lives, and preserve freedom. “This truly contributes to confidence and motivation.””
If only we could preserve freedom and our own country.
One thing to remember. Spending bills come from the House. Grandpa Bloodstains is attempting to end run the system.
Johnson (if you believe him) has repeatedly said this crap is dead on arrival.
Once again, in Grandpa Bloodstains desperate attempt to “save democracy”, he ignores it.
Among other things, the bill (which will die an ugly death) had whats known as an impeachment bomb in it.
A clause, probably unconstitutional, that basically states if the next POTUS tried to end funding he/she would be violating the law.
Princess and Swampy voted for that, too.
What is really concerning here is our politicians seem to be encouraging Russia to go big on Ukraine which means Putin will nuke Kiev and then it will be game on. Zelenskyy is a con man it’s curious how you see news media clips of him out walking around in the city. Makes me wonder why Russian snipers haven’t smoked him ?? After all Ukraine is half full of Russian s. We have our own problems let the European limp dicks deal with Ukraine.
The pittance offered “in case the border get’s overwhelmed”, seriously!! The border is overwhelmed right now and has been since Biden was installed. He created this mess day 1 in office when he rescinded the executive orders put in place by the previous administration in a purely political move. No good has come from his doing that to the rightful citizens of the United States.
just like the PFD. I wonder whose idea that was.
Ukraine needs to start negotiating with Russia in order to stop the war. There is no progress with the continuation, and Alaska doesn’t have the infrastructure or housing to keep having more and more immigrants come when there needs to be a line drawn on how many immigrants Alaska can support. It is not to be rude, but to be a safe haven is only temporary and the war keeps going with no productive talks of an ending draining Americans money that is much needed for our country to remain in fit operating condition. This is outrageous that a lot of educated people in the senate make decisions about money that demonstrate unwise stewardship and I wonder how they all handle their own personal finances.
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