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| 2.13.24
Senate’s Foreign Aid Package Passes
Do you support the bill? Let your reps know.
Updated Feb. 13, 2024, 10:00 a.m. EST
- Despite warnings from the House that the bill would never succeed, the Senate passed the foreign aid package in a 70-to-29 vote. The package provides $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel, and $10 billion for humanitarian aid in conflict zones, including Gaza. The measure was stripped down to $95 billion after the $118 billion version failed in the Senate last week.
- There were no changes made to the bill after Republicans insisted they would not support foreign aid measures without changes to Biden's U.S.-Mexico border policies.
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement:
"History settles every account. And today, on the value of American leadership and strength, history will record that the Senate did not blink."
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed feeling "grateful" to the Senate for passing the package. He wrote on X:
"For us in Ukraine, continued US assistance helps to save human lives from Russian terror. It means that life will continue in our cities and will triumph over war."
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on the House floor as he began filibustering the bill:
"Shouldn't we try to fix our own country first?"
Updated Feb. 8, 2024, 10:00 a.m. EST
- The bipartisan Senate package lost Republican support after top GOP members opposed their own addition of a stricter border policy, and called for a standalone international aid package instead. The bill was specifically crafted to meet GOP demands, but the deal began to fall apart after former President Donald Trump publicly criticized it. House GOP leaders called the bill "dead on arrival."
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he is moving onto "Plan B" to get aid to Ukraine and Israel. Schumer blamed Republicans for the bill's failure, saying he still hoped an agreement was in the near future.
What's the story?
- U.S. lawmakers revealed a cross-party deal that grants new aid to Ukraine and Israel and targets immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- The bill was unveiled Sunday night after senators of both parties had spent months in negotiations. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill later this week.
- If passed, the bill would be the most significant immigration overhaul since the 1980s, when Reagan was in office.
The bill
- The $120 billion funding deal provides $60 billion to Ukraine in its fight against Russia and $14 billion to Israel's military operations and attack on Gaza.
- Aid to security at the Mexico border was added to the deal after Republican lawmakers said they would not agree to any money being sent to Ukraine until the migrant crisis was addressed.
- The bill includes new federal authority, which mandates a complete shutdown of the border if migrant crossings exceed 5,000 in a week.
- Immigration has become a top issue driving Republican voters this year, putting pressure on President Biden. He vowed to "shut down the border right now and fix it quickly" if Congress sent him a bill to be signed.
The response
- Sen. James Lankford (R-Ok.) said the agreement will be a step away from the current system of "catch and release" to one where migrants are detained and deported.
- Republican House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) said the bill was destined to fail. He said:
"Let me be clear: The Senate Border Bill will NOT receive a vote in the House."
- Migration and border expert Adam Isacson from the Washington Office on Latin America said the bill would mark a "radical" change from current norms. Isacson said the deal contains the spirit of the anti-immigration Trump administration.
- Biden endorsed the deal, saying it was "the toughest and fairest" border reform in decades. He said:
"It would give me, as president, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. Get it to my desk so I can sign it into law immediately."
- Some Democratic lawmakers are accusing Republicans who oppose the bill of being influenced by Trump, who is urging his supporters on Capitol Hill to not pass the bill. Observers and experts say Trump's influence has cast a shadow over negotiations.
- When asked about Trump's role, Isacson said:
"Letting the Biden administration twist in the wind is exactly what the Trump campaign wants. That sort of status quo, of They want more B-roll of chaos during the campaign."
Do you support the bill? Let your reps know.
-Jamie Epstein
(Photo credit: iStock/mphillips007)
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Government uses cancer causing pesticides on our food supply along with Drugs and Covid, Politicians give the Surplus Social Security to other countrys as Forgein Aid and pays down the National debt, google it, Amerca's gov is Human Farming for money.
The Criminal filth of humanity giving away our tax dollares for personal profit
No more killing by the Democrats funding
Ukraine need support now, the money they will receive is to buy from American industry. The money is spent here!
My last pay test was $9,500 operating 12 hours per week online. My buddy has been averaging 15,000 for months now and he works approximately 20 hours every week. I can not accept as true with how easy it become as soon as i tried it out.
This is what do __________ https://cashpay-47-7ka.pages.dev
I did known red America wackos woke was a national religion?
Elon Musk is a true capitalist, works both sides!
And then you have people that you would think would be smarter? See how little I know! The Peter principal is at work, that you are raised to your level of incompetency!
Darn educated people. Republicans hate educated people!
I urge my reps to send money from sanctions as aid to Ukraine. We must use every opportunity we can find to help them while Congress is being held hostage by a fractured party.
Trump is the only Russian asset, you know the "R" in republican stands for another Russian communistasset!
Rand Paul complains about the $95 billion foreign aid US needs to give to Ukraine and then has the gull to complain about the debt ceiling of $34 trillion, which $8.4 trillion dollar plus counting, was by Trump and the vote of the republicans to give the rich and corporate tax cuts!
Say it not true that looser dictator mob boss Trump is dead last as best president ever, Obama is 10th and Joe Biden is 14th. Trump is a race to the bottom. He is first place and number one at the bottom. He is number one with corporate greed and a $8.4 trillion dollar deficit
Putin wants to thank the Republican Party and the Republican House of Representatives on Avdiivka Ukraine troop withdrawal! Putin send his love to Johnson!
A bipartisan bill for the border one the strongest lead by republicans was shot down by republicans because Trump told them too! The border chaos and immigration crisis is because republicans think that can be a winning strategy politically and are doing nothing but Trump and Putin bidding!
I think some of the republicans are have second thoughts, it's a to little too late!
Stop the Democrats Southern Border Drug supply routes with Hr2 then Senate can have Ukraines money.
The orthodox Christian Church of Russia all in the name of GOD? Another national church!
The Republicans do not want to fund any aid to Ukraine because they are all beholden to Putin. Paul Ryan, during his tenure as Speaker, stated outright that they were all on Putin's payroll, and that has not changed.
Republicans want to try and bring about the "2nd coming" and "The Rapture" so they will support Isarel because they think it will force it to happen.
Republicans purport to hate Islamic beleifs while they trun around and try to enforce the exact tenents of Sharia Law on the United States.
They all make me sick.
There is no legislation that will pass before the election when Republicans tell the Republican sponsor that only an election can solve the border problem proving it's nothing more than campaign PR, fundraiser, turn out the vote for Republicans.
"Only four of the Senate's 49 Republicans voted for the bill."
"Some have been very clear with me they have political differences with the bill," said Republican Senator James Lankford, one of the negotiators."
"They say it's the wrong time to solve the problem, let the presidential election solve the problem."
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bipartisan-border-ukraine-deal-looks-set-fail-us-senate-2024-02-07/
They do not care about the Border. They never have. They recently held the white house, the house of Reps and the senate and they did nothing.
It's all a talking point of lies for these people "Biden has open borders!" No, he doesn't. In fact, he hasn't changed anything that was in place under Trump. In fact , the last serious immigration reform happened back in the 70s and it's pretty much stayed the same.
Do we need common sense and compassionate Immigration Reform Laws? Absolutely!
Do the racist folks on the right care about it? Not one damned bit!