Congress races to pass Israel aid; Ukraine, border hold it back
- Congress has just 11 days to pass an aid package for the end of the year
- Israel aid has bipartisan support but the other tied measures do not
- Schumer: Biggest holdup is GOP's insistence on border policy as a condition
(NewsNation) — Congress has just 11 days to secure a deal on foreign aid before the end of the year, but Republicans remain divided over additional help for Ukraine and Democrats are split over providing more money to Israel.
On the surface, additional aid for Israel has widespread support on both sides of the aisle, but it is becoming increasingly less likely to pass before the end of the year because it is tied to other contentious measures.
The first roadblock is aid for Ukraine, which is splitting Republicans, and the second is the proposed changes to immigration and asylum laws. These issues are making aid to Israel much more difficult to pass.
Sources tell NewsNation some members of the Israeli Defense Forces were in the Capitol to speak to some Senate Democrats who have been critical of the way Israel has carried out this war, particularly because of the level of Palestinian civilian casualties.
But is yet to be seen whether the meeting will sway the Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to put a bill on the floor next week that, in part, asks for $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel and another $14 billion for the border. While these numbers may change, Schumer says the reason it is not being passed is Republicans’ insistence on getting changes to border policy.
“The biggest holdup to the national security supplement is an insistence by some Republicans, just some, on partisan border policy as a condition for Ukraine aid. This has injected a decades-old hyper-partisan issue into overwhelmingly bipartisan priorities,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
Now, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is saying it is the Democrats’ failure to address the crisis at the southern border that is creating the obstacle for Israel aid.
Ultimately, rapid aid to Israel hinges on whether the bipartisan group can come to some kind of agreement on changes to border laws within the next few days, something Congress has failed to do for several years.