The Senate approved an international aid package Tuesday that provides $95 billion for Taiwan, Israel and Ukraine. Of this total, $60 billion are designated for the Ukrainian government in its effort to stop the Russian invasion. The bill includes no provisions to reinforce the southern border.
With the passage of this national security bill, the Senate is telling Putin he will regret the day he questioned America’s resolve.
With the passage of this national security bill, the Senate is sending a clear bipartisan message of resolve to our allies in NATO.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 13, 2024
The Senate, with a Democratic majority, welcomed the approval of this bill, which according to Chuck Schumer is "a clear bipartisan message of resolve to our allies in NATO" and also sends a clear message to Putin. As soon as the vote was over and the session was adjourned, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated and thanked the U.S. senators and Democratic leaders for their support of the Ukrainian cause.
I am grateful to @SenSchumer, @LeaderMcConnell, and every US Senator who has supported continued assistance to Ukraine as we fight for freedom, democracy, and the values we all hold dear.
For us in Ukraine, continued US assistance helps to save human lives from Russian terror.…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 13, 2024
Although the Senate approved the foreign aid package, the bill may not have the same fate in the House of Representatives, according to Speaker Mike Johnson. The Republican, who works to keep a weak majority cohesive, maintains that the bill will not even reach a vote in the full House. In the previous weeks, the House was also unable to find common ground to approve an aid package for Israel, in the midst of the fight against the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip.
At the center of the issue are the demands from Republican representatives for a radical change in President Joe Biden's immigration policy, as well as new and greater financial support for the protection of the southern border.
My statement on Senate’s failure to address the most critical aspect of national security supplemental legislation: pic.twitter.com/ENjJ0WzKsK
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 13, 2024
