A US$95.34 billion bill that includes aid for Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel on Thursday advanced in the US Senate after Republicans blocked compromise legislation that included a long-sought overhaul of immigration policy.
Senators backed a procedural motion by 67-32, exceeding the 60-vote threshold to advance the bill. Seventeen Republicans voted in favor of it, in a surprising shift after they blocked the broader bill on Wednesday.
“This is a good first step. This bill is essential for our national security, for the security of our friends in Ukraine, in Israel, for humanitarian aid for innocent civilians in Gaza, and for Taiwan,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in the Senate after the vote.
Photo: AFP
Failure to pass the bill would “only embolden autocrats like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping (習近平)] who want nothing more than America’s decline,” Schumer said.
There was no immediate word on when the 100-member chamber would consider final passage, as some senators said they expected to remain in session during the weekend if necessary.
“We are going to keep working on this bill until the job is done,” Schumer said.
The Democratic-led Senate took up the security aid bill after Republicans on Wednesday blocked a broader measure that also included reforms of border security and immigration policy that a bipartisan group of senators had negotiated for months.
The security aid bill includes US$4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, and deter aggression by China, US$61 billion for Ukraine as it battles a Russian invasion and US$14 billion for Israel in its war against Hamas.
It would also provide US$9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine and other populations in conflict zones around the globe.
The Senate is expected to take days to agree on a final version of the security aid package, with some Republicans continuing to push for amendments. Supporters of Ukraine have been struggling for much of the past year to find a way to send more money to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government.
Even if the aid bill eventually passes the Senate, it faces uncertainty in the US House of Representatives.
Dozens of Republican House members, particularly those most closely allied with former US president Donald Trump, have voted against Ukraine aid, including House Speaker Mike Johnson.
While lawmakers have approved more than US$110 billion for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, the US Congress has not passed any major aid for Kyiv since Republicans took control of the House in January last year.
Supporters of Ukraine aid say Washington and its partners must send a unified message to Russia as well as globally.
US allies agree.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media that Republican senators should be ashamed for blocking the Ukraine aid package, saying that former US president Ronald Reagan would be “turning in his grave.”
The Kremlin said that Putin and Xi spoke by telephone on Thursday and both rejected what they called US interference in the affairs of other countries.
Additional reporting by CNA
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