The Senate in a procedural vote on Thursday advanced a $95.34 billion foreign funding package that would give aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with the help of 17 Republicans.
The aid package includes $61 billion for Ukraine in its war with Russia, $14 billion for Israel as it fights Hamas in Gaza, and $4.83 billion to help America’s allies in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes Taiwan. The package will also give $9.15 billion in humanitarian aid to conflict zones like Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine.
The package advanced to debate with a 67 to 32 vote. The 17 Republicans who voted to advance the package are:
- Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
- Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- Susan Collins of Maine
- John Cornyn of Texas
- Joni Ernst of Iowa
- Chuck Grassley of Iowa
- John Kennedy of Louisiana
- Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
- Jerry Moran of Kansas
- Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- Mitt Romney of Utah
- Mike Rounds of South Dakota
- Dan Sullivan of Alaska
- John Thune of South Dakota
- Thom Tillis of North Carolina
- Roger Wicker of Mississippi
- Todd Young of Indiana.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said that Thursday’s vote is “a good first step.”
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Andrew Desiderio, a senior congressional reporter for Punchbowl News wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday that there is “still a long way to go” but that “this is a small win for Schumer and McConnell.”
McConnell, the Senate minority leader, has tried to get Ukraine funding passed for months but faced roadblocks with dwindling support for the country among his GOP colleagues.
Newsweek reached out to McConnell’s and Schumer’s offices via email for comment.
The vote to advance the aid package comes after the Senate failed to pass a deal that would have included foreign aid along with an additional $20 billion to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and policy changes to America’s immigration system.
The Senate came up 11 votes shy of the 60 needed for the border and foreign aid deal to move forward. The final vote was 50 to 49.
Republicans in Congress took issue with the original deal because of the border legislation in it. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, called it a “bad bill” on Fox Business’ Varney & Company on Thursday. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said the bill was “even worse than we expected” when the language of it was released.
Although GOP members of Congress did not like the deal, they say they still wanted to address the situation at the southern border, which they have called a crisis.
Cruz told Newsweek before the vote for the aid package on Thursday that he would “not vote for additional funding to secure Ukraine’s border until we secure our own borders.”
Critics accused Republicans in Congress of opposing the border deal because they say former President Trump, who is the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, wants to campaign on the situation at the southern border.
If the foreign aid package is eventually passed in the Senate, it is unclear how the House will vote. While Johnson has tried and failed to pass funding for Israel for months, dozens of GOP members in the House, particularly MAGA (Make America Great Again) Republicans who have close ties with Trump, have voted against Ukraine aid. Johnson is one who has opposed more funding for Ukraine.
Newsweek reached out to Johnson’s office via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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