The United States Senate advanced a $95 billion Ukraine and Israel aid bill with a filibuster-proof majority after failed negotiations on the border deal.
The development on Thursday came after Republicans blocked compromise legislation that included a long-sought overhaul of immigration policy. Senators expressed support for a procedural motion by 67-32.
This xceeded the 60-vote threshold to advance the bill where 17 Republicans voted in favor, which was a surprising shift from their opposition to the broader bill on Wednesday. In a statement in the Senate after the vote, Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer said that the advancement of the bill is a good first step.
He added that the bill is crucial for the country's national security, for the security of Ukraine, and Israel, for humanitarian aid for innocent civilians in Gaza, and for Taiwan. There was no immediate information on when the 100-member chamber would consider final passage of the bill.
This comes as some senators said that they expected to remain in session during the weekend if necessary to pass the bill. Schumer added that they will keep on working on the bill until the "job is done," as per Reuters.
The Democrat-led Senate took up the security aid bill after GOP lawmakers on Wednesday blocked a broader measure that also included reforms of border security and immigration policy. It was one that a bipartisan group of senators had negotiated for several months.
The latest security aid bill includes $61 billion for Ukraine as it continues its fight against Russia's invasion, $14 billion for Israel amid its war with the Hamas terrorist group, and $4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan, and deter aggression by China.
Overcoming Republican Opposition
The bill would also provide $9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine, and other populations in conflict zones worldwide. The Senate is also expected to take several days to agree on a final version of the security aid package. This is as some Republicans continue to push for amendments to its provisions.
Schumer said that failure to pass the aid bill would only embolden autocrats, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Senate negotiators spent nearly four months discusing a $118 billion deal, according to the New York Post.
However, former United States President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson quickly opposed after the text was released on Sunday. GOP leaders in the lower chamber warned that taking the measure would be a "waste of time."
The development comes as Ukraine aid was the centerpiece of a particularly dramatic saga in September last year. Houser Republican hardliners tanked a budget deal in opposition to $6 billion of assistance to the embattled region.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the time agreed to remove funding for Ukraine and pass a short-term bill to keep the government running. A few days later, McCarthy was ousted from his post as speaker by his fellow Republican lawmakers, said CNBC.
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