Senate tries vote on foreign aid package after blocking border deal
- Senate didn't pass $118 billion national security package
- Lawmakers are still trying to get the foreign aid portion passed
- Foreign aid part of legislation would send billions to Ukraine, Israel
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., arrives at the Capitol while Republicans hold a closed-door meeting after blocking a bipartisan border package that had been tied to wartime aid for Ukraine, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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(NewsNation) — The Senate is making another attempt at approving aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan Thursday, after blocking a version of the package that also included border enforcement policies earlier in the week.
A $118 billion national security package was unveiled Sunday, after months of bipartisan negotiations. However, it came under scrutiny as some Republicans, steadfast in their demand for substantial changes to border security, remained unsatisfied. Ultimately, the national security supplemental deal that included the border funding failed on a 49-50 vote.
Still, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is trying to save the foreign aid portion of the bill, which would send $95 billion to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Schumer said the bill is “essential” for not only the United States’ national security, but also that of Ukraine and Israel. It would also, he said, ensure civilian aid for Gaza and Taiwan and strengthen the U.S. military.
“Failure to pass this bill would only embolden autocrats like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (Chinese leader) Xi Jinping, who want nothing more than America’s decline,” Schumer said. “…We’re going to keep working on this bill until the job is done.”
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, that he will object to anything speeding up “this rotten foreign spending bill’s passage.”
“It’s a terrible idea to put forward and pass a bill that tries to secure other countries’ borders before we secure our own,” he said. “We need to address our problems here at home in a REAL way.”
When asked whether he’s going to keep the Senate in D.C. through the weekend by introducing lots of amendments, Paul told NewsNation that senators “can…go on their vacation when hell freezes over, as far as I’m concerned.”
Senators NewsNation spoke to have indicated they expect the bill would pass — it’s just a matter of how long that would take.
This story is developing. Refresh for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
