On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will attempt to pick up the pieces of the shattered proposal that was once the wartime funding bill, which recently collapsed under the weight of concessions added to appease the unappeasable.
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 15: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) gives remarks at a press conference in the U.S. Capitol Building after the passage of a continuing resolution to fund the U.S. government through early 2024 on November 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. The U.S. Senate passed the short term funding legislation in an 87 to 11 vote.
But, despite this, Schumer will push ahead on a vote for tens of billions of dollars earmarked for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies of the United States.
Schumer planned to force Republicans to take two procedural votes, one on the $118 billion package with border enforcement measures baked in, and another for a modified deal with the border patrol portion removed. If either pass, it would take days for the Senate to reach a final vote.
"Will the Senate stand up to brutish thugs like Vladimir Putin and reassure our friends abroad that America will never abandon them in the hour of need?" Schumer asked as he opened the Senate.
Aid to Ukraine has been stalled for months because of growing opposition by Republicans in the House and Senate.
The pairing of border policies with aid for allies was first proposed by Republicans and was intended to help the deal slide through the House. But GOP senators rejected the compromise as election year politics, despite Republicans being the ones calling for said compromise.
The bill also included $14 billion for Israel and $10 billion in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and other locations.
The White House said that President Joe Biden believes there should be new border policy but would also support moving the aid for Ukraine and Israel alone, as he has from the start.
"We support this bill which would protect America's national security interests by stopping Putin's onslaught in Ukraine before he turns to other countries, helping Israel defend itself against Hamas terrorists and delivering live-saving humanitarian aid to innocent Palestinian civilians," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates.
"Even if some congressional Republicans' commitment to border security hinges on politics, President Biden's does not."
What Else Does The Package Include?
The package would also send $20 billion to immigration enforcement, providing money to hire thousands more officers to evaluate asylum claims, more Border Patrol agents and help stop the flow of fentanyl.
In a recent update at publishing, Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan border package on Wednesday, derailing months of negotiations with Democrats aimed at addressing the surge in illegal border crossings.
Despite supporters of the bill arguing that it represented the best compromise achievable in a divided government, many Republicans deemed it insufficient, especially in an election year.
The vote of 49-50, falling significantly short of the 60 votes required to advance the bill, occurred after the majority of Republicans signaled their opposition. This legislation also encompassed $60 billion in wartime assistance to Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, receiving endorsement from President Joe Biden. However, GOP lawmakers insisted on linking funds for international conflicts with assistance for the U.S. border.
