What Happened:
The Senate passed a $95 billion deal that will result in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan getting more American support if it also passes the House. The bill passed after Republican Senators blocked a compromise legislation that was going to overhaul the current U.S. immigration policy.
The bill was passed 67-32, with 17 Republican’s voting in favor just after blocking the border bill. Democrat Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the bill is a “good first step” for solving essential national security issues and reinforcing the security of U.S. allies.
Ukraine will receive $61 billion, Israel will receive $14 billion, and Taiwan will get $4.83 billion. Some of the bill has also been split to go to humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Details:
This bill had been held up for months by Republican’s who were holding out in hopes of a compromise with overhauling the current immigration system. Senate Democrat’s decided to vote on the bill separately and got it to pass. Zelensky had visited the U.S. previously in the early stages of the bill to urge lawmakers to pass the bill no matter what it took. Republican’s had tried previously to find relief for the southern border, but many Democrat’s felt as though they were giving up to much.
The EU also passed a $54 billion aid bill last week. After the passage, they urged the U.S. to step in and add their own contribution. U.S. allies have been critical of Republican lawmakers for blocking the bill for so long. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told Republican’s they “ought to be ashamed of themselves.”. Many Republican’s had wanted to aid Ukraine but
What’s Next:
With the passage of this bill, American lawmakers have approved the first major aid package since the Republicans took over the House. However, with American elections coming in November, it may be difficult to get more aid passed. There was an assumption that since neither the EU nor the U.S. passed any aid, maybe war exhaustion was kicking in; however, both countries have reaffirmed their dedication to Ukraine. In a call between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, both countries condemned the U.S. interference in Ukraine.
The next big bill the Senate will face is overhauling the border, which will likely take some time.
