United States: Republican senators rejected a White House request for US$106 billion in emergency help, largely for Israel and Ukraine, on Wednesday, citing the omission of immigration measures that conservatives had wanted as part of the package.
The vote was a big loss for US President Joe Biden, who had earlier warned Congress that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not stop at victory in Ukraine and may potentially attack a NATO member.
The package would contain around US$60 billion to assist Ukraine in maintaining pressure on Russia throughout the harsh winter months, as well as approximately US$10 billion for Israel in its war with the Hamas terror group, as well as some aid for Taiwan.
Hundreds of terrorists entered southern Israel on October 7 and launched a surprise attack, killing over 1,200 people and captivating at least 240 hostages in the Gaza Strip. Following the attack, Israel has declared war on the militant group Hamas.
Speaker Mike Johnson of the Republican-led House has made it clear that he would not agree to give any more money unless “transformative” improvements to US border policy are achieved.
The Louisiana Republican has also stated that any aid to Israel must be offset by expenditure cutbacks, a position that Democrats, the White House, and the majority of Senate Republicans oppose.
The Democratic Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, had agreed to hold a vote later, adding the US border security provisions wanted by Republicans in order to obtain the 60 votes required to clear the bill’s first procedural hurdle.
However, the Republican minority in the 100-member upper House voted unanimously against proceeding, citing a lack of government action on the estimated 10,000 migrants entering from Mexico each day.
“Everyone has been very, very clear on this to say we’re standing firm. Now is the moment,” Senator James Lankford, a lead Republican negotiator on immigration and border issues, told Fox Business ahead of the vote.
“We’re completely out of control at the southern border, and it’s time to resolve this,” he added.
Biden has led the worldwide coalition supporting Kyiv, but Republican support in Congress has been dwindling, and the administration has warned that it would run out of money for fresh Ukraine help in weeks unless legislators act, according to the report by the Times of Israel.
Progressives have pressed the president to reject sweeping conservative immigration demands, which they believe are comparable to closing the border, but he declared in an emotional televised address that he would accept “significant compromise.”
“This cannot wait. Frankly, I think it’s stunning that we’ve gotten to this point in the first place, where Republicans in Congress are willing to give Putin the greatest gift he could hope for,” Biden said.
The Democratic leader was addressing following a video meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and G7 leaders to explore ways to strengthen Western aid to Kyiv.
Zelensky warned the leaders that Moscow expects Western unity to “collapse” next year and that Russia has increased pressure on the front lines of the conflict.
But the assistance package’s chances have been hopeless since many Republicans walked out of a confidential Ukraine briefing for senators on Tuesday, upset that there was no mention of border security. Zelensky was supposed to speak at the meeting via video link, but he canceled at the last minute.
Centrist Democrat Joe Manchin, a frequent thorn in the White House’s side, expressed support for the security measure, but only because Schumer promised that border security changes might be added later.
“In the greatest country on Earth, we do not have to choose between protecting our homeland and defending our allies,” he said.
The White House has sounded the alarm about what would happen if they don’t approve more funding soon, saying Ukraine’s military would be stalled or even overrun. Congress is scheduled to be in Washington for just a handful of days before the end of the year.
Republicans claim that the high number of migrants crossing the southern border poses a security risk because border officials are unable to effectively check them. They also claim that they cannot justify providing billions of dollars to other nations while neglecting to handle the border issue at home.
Senators have reached an agreement on strengthening the initial criterion for people seeking asylum. However, they have disagreed on limiting humanitarian parole, a policy that permits the executive branch to temporarily admit migrants without the approval of Congress.
Even if the president and senators manage to reach an agreement on border security, any agreement would face severe challenges in the House. The chamber’s hardline conservatives have threatened to defeat it unless it adopts a wide package of tough border and immigration policies.
Separately, the US State Department issued a US$175 million emergency aid package for Ukraine on Wednesday, including valuable HIMARS rockets, shells, missiles, and ammunition.