The $95 billion relief bill overcame long-standing difficulties in the Senate, but its passage by the House of Representatives is uncertain.
Here is the detailed news.
Senate faces challenge from Ukraine aid legislation
The US Senate on Sunday proposed a $95.34 billion emergency aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, following a bipartisan vote.
The Senate voted 67-27 to advance the bill despite overwhelming opposition from right-wing Republicans, including former President Donald Trump.
On Sunday, 18 Republicans and all Democrats supported the bill, which is expected to pass the Senate by Tuesday.
The bill includes $60.1 billion in aid to Ukraine, $14.1 billion to help Israel in its war against Hamas and about $10 billion in humanitarian aid for civilians in the areas of conflict, such as the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan.
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US President Joe Biden has wanted to pass this law for months. However, the bill faced several obstacles during its passage in the Senate.
Some Republicans opposed the bill, arguing that the United States should not spend billions of dollars on Ukraine’s security and should instead focus on its own border issues with Mexico, which allows illegal immigrants to enter the country.
Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton said on Fox News on Sunday that he was concerned about the $19 billion in aid to Ukraine. “We spent four months promising the American people that we would secure our own border before focusing on other countries’ borders,” he added.
Biden said Friday that Congress would be guilty of “negligence” if it did not pass the bill.
In a rare move, the Senate advanced the bill in a bipartisan vote Sunday, with a considerable number of Republicans calling to support the bill.
Also read “Donald Trump Warns NATO, Says He Would Let Russia Do What It Wants.”
Among them was Kentucky Republican Senator and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said: “It is no exaggeration to say that the eyes of the world are on the United States Senate. »
He added: “America’s allies do not have the luxury of pretending that the world’s most dangerous aggressors are someone else’s problem, and neither do we. »
Many other senators also commented on the bill’s passage.
New York Democratic Senator and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor: “We’re going to continue working on this bill until the job is done. »
The bill will be transferred to United States House of Representatives to vote on after the Senate passed it. However, it is unclear whether the Republican-majority House would approve the bill.
The emergency aid bill is expected to face opposition from Republicans who support Trump’s “America First” stance in the House, under which Republicans seek to use the funds first to protect the United States before spending it on the security of another country.
It remains to be seen whether Biden’s emergency aid legislation can pass the House of Representatives.
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