Ukraine aid bill blocked in US Senate
(Baonghean.vn) - A bill providing billions of dollars in new security assistance to Ukraine and Israel was blocked by the US Senate on December 6 (local time) as Republicans stressed the need for tougher measures to control immigration at the US border with Mexico.
The vote was 49-51, meaning the $110.5 billion measure fell short of the 60 votes needed in the 100-seat Senate to clear the way for debate.
All Republicans in the Senate voted against the measure, along with Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who usually votes with the Democrats but has expressed concern about funding Israel's "current inhumane military strategy" against the Palestinians, Reuters reported.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also voted “no” so he could introduce a motion to reconsider the measure. After the vote, Democratic member Schumer said it was a “grave moment that will have lasting consequences for the 21st century” and risked undermining Western democracy.
Republicans say it is necessary to argue for stricter immigration policies and control of the southern border.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier in the day: "Today's vote is essential for Democratic leadership to realize that Senate Republicans mean what they say. So let's vote. And finally, let's start meeting America's national security priorities, including right here at home."
Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress have been arguing for months over how to handle Democratic President Joe Biden’s demands for billions of dollars in funding for Ukraine in its war with Russia, for Israel after the October 7 attack by Hamas, for US interests in the Indo-Pacific region and for international humanitarian aid.
But two White House requests for congressional approval of spending bills have failed, and the mood on Capitol Hill is increasingly tense as the impasse threatens to stretch into 2024. Democrats say aid to allies is essential to supporting global democracy and preventing tyranny.
A group of Senate Democrats held a press conference to argue that blocking the bill would send a message to both US adversaries and allies that Washington does not stand up for its international partners.
Republicans, meanwhile, see the surge in illegal immigration across the southern border with Mexico as a major security concern and say they want more accountability than they have received from the Biden administration for the American taxpayer dollars that flow overseas.
Schumer said on December 5 that he would try to break the deadlock by offering Republicans the opportunity to add a border policy amendment to the bill. However, as of December 6 evening, no such amendment had been announced.
