The US Senate on Tuesday approved $60 billion in funding for Ukraine, in a bill House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated his Republican-led chamber will reject.
The $95 billion package includes funding for Israel's military and key strategic ally Taiwan, but the lion's share -- $60 billion -- would help Ukraine restock depleted ammunition supplies, weapons and other crucial needs as it enters a third year of war.
The bill, which the Senate voted on early Tuesday morning and which passed with bipartisan support, does not include changes to US immigration policy.
A previous Senate text that encompassed both the border and foreign aid was blocked by members of Johnson's own party in the upper chamber, after he similarly vowed to kill it in the House over concerns it did not sufficiently address illegal border crossings.
"House Republicans were crystal clear from the very beginning of discussions that any so-called national security supplemental legislation must recognize that national security begins at our own border," Johnson said in a statement.
Johnson had previously stated that the Senate's first bill -- which included some of the harshest immigration curbs in decades but which he said still did not go far enough -- would be "dead on arrival" in his chamber.
His rhetoric matched that of former president Donald Trump, who has forcefully called for the bill to be rejected as he runs for office again and seeks to exploit Joe Biden's perceived weakness on immigration.
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Despite months of bipartisan negotiations over the bill, Senate Republicans ultimately voted to block it from proceeding.
The bill that passed in the Senate on Tuesday excluded those immigration reforms, and passed by 70 votes for to 29 against, with several Republicans backing it.
- Divisions among Republicans -
"The Senate did the right thing last week by rejecting the Ukraine-Taiwan-Gaza-Israel-Immigration legislation due to its insufficient border provisions, and it should have gone back to the drawing board to amend the current bill to include real border security provisions," Johnson said.
"Now, in the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters."
The Republican logjam over the bill comes amid both disunity within the party and an apparent desire among some to keep the border an open issue leading into the election.
Johnson's opposition to the Ukraine funding bill also places him out of step with the top Republican in the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Before voting Sunday to move forward with the $95 billion package, McConnell urged his colleagues to reject the isolationist approach of Trump -- without naming him -- and his right-wing allies in the House, and to think about the message it would send if the United States failed to support Ukraine and other democracies.
"Our allies and partners are hoping that the indispensable nation -- the leader of the free world -- has the resolve to continue. And our adversaries are hoping for something quite different," he said.
Trump sparked consternation among NATO allies over the weekend with a campaign speech in which he said he would "encourage" Russia to invade countries that do not meet defense spending goals.
He renewed those complaints on Monday, claiming on his Truth Social network that "we are helping Ukraine for more than 100 Billion Dollars more than NATO," apparently referring to other allies besides the United States.
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Comments (8)
There is a parliamentary procedure the US House of Representatives can try to get this Senate bill on the floor for a House vote.
To secure his speakership in 2021, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to a rules change in which any one House member can call for the ending of the speakership. That rule was used to oust McCarthy in 2023, and is still in place.
The Democrats joined by a few pro-Ukrainian Republicans can oust Speaker Johnson, install a pro-Ukraine Republican like Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw to be Speaker of the House, who would forward the legislation for a bipartisan vote. Crenshaw's (or some other GOP member) period as Speaker would be very short - a matter of a couple weeks, but would be just enough time to get the funding for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel to the President's desk to sign into law. That is the ideal outcome we Ukrainian backers should be looking for this month.
@Coach John, Very interesting strategy. Wishing Ukraine and also its supporters in the USA that best outcome.
As far as the US House of Representatives is concerned, my advice to Ukraine is hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
This Jack John Griffen got many personalities. Both get a life. Trolls. Or all three , you too Maddy orc troll.
AFP reports from very far away, but closer to America, it appears far less likely that Mr. Johnson in the House of Representatives actually has the power to block this important legislation. His control of House Republicans isn't very strong, and his majority is but a few seats. His people do not like him very much, and have their own reelection concerns in November.
People and pundits did not think it could pass the Senate, and now it has passed. I think it will also pass the House, but not without more "drama", because it is an election year.
@Jack Griffin, In reference to your request that I stop below troll jack....Well it really would not help your cause to push putinrump propaganda in the grand scheme.
The truth simply exists Jack...it does not start and it does not stop. Events happen. Speeches happen. Crimes happen. They are documented. They are well indexed and referenced. They are learned and understood. The knowledge s applied.
In an digital era where storing and accessing the truth is essentially free, and it is widely distributed and securely backed up to prevent its deletion by criminals.....the truth is just not going away.
With their every word and mal-deed, the truth about putin's evil and the supportive activities of the false putinrump god you worship accrues.
My post are facts and quotes harvested from credible cited sources....anyone in a freedom of information democracy (rules out russia) with web access can look them up.
How can your master suppress these?
"The truth is out there!"
@Jack Griffin,
How is it MRGA is able to reconcile a self serving, vengeful, putin propaganda pushing narcissist with 4000 lawsuits (yes 4000!) prior to its election, 2 russia agenda supporting impeachments including an insurrection to overthrow the elected democracy, and has accrued 81 felony charges during his single presidential term, with someone who would uphold American laws?
He stalls legislative fixes to the border. His cronies were convicted of fraud in the "build the wall" scam. He pardon one of them so far (his presidential advisor Bannon). His administration deported more than 2 million less convicted illegal immigrants than did Obama. He did however block almost all legal skilled immigration.. He is associated in financial and election dealings with a russian dictator he effusively praises. A dictators that creates refugee streams to destabilize democratic borders. How does MRGA reconcile putinrump will actually bring required balance to the USA's immigration?
How would you propose to overthrow someone who has stated dictator aspiration, wishes to vengefully suppress opposition and pardon all those convicted of insurrection and treason against the USA? They do not accept accept election results nor peaceful transition to new elected governments.
Will MRGA worship Donald Jr. when putinrumps' reign of oppression is passed within his authoritarian dynasty?
rand paul is pro russian. He is affiliated / backed by the koch brothers who also created a "think tank" called "Defense Priorities" which echoes communist russia's demands of less US military bases and a reluctance to impose sanctions on north korea.One of paul's key backers...charles koch... the same koch brothers that have donated millions of dollars to "Donors Trust and Donors Capital" which also funds the "Heritage Foundation" recently spread russian propaganda about Ukraine, the koch family made a fortune developing oil and gas in russia as far back as soviet times.
jessie benton sound familiar? A GOP operative working for rand paul & mitch mcconnell funnelling russian money, caught and convicted. NRA also taking russian money.
nikki haley also accepts money from the koch brothers.
Then there is mike johnson who attends white supremacist meetings of the cnp 4th pf October 2019 and used US tax payer money to travel to this hate fest.
#GOPMAGAEqualsNationalBolsheviks
@Joseph Swanson, yes and then?
Time for House Republicans to step up and show us all that they don’t support genocidal regimes. Americans are watching, and we’ll be voting in November.