(NewsNation) — Senators have blocked the $118 billion national security package that included a bipartisan border deal announced earlier this week.
The Senate is expected to return Thursday for a vote on the foreign aid portions of the package without the immigration funding it has been tied to in negotiations. The bill would send $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel and $2.6 billion to Taiwan.
After GOP senators scuttled months of negotiations with Democrats on legislation intended to cut back record numbers of illegal border crossings, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tried to push ahead to a crucial test vote on the $95 billion package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
But the Senate floor settled into an hours-long stall Wednesday night as Republicans huddled to see if they could gain the votes necessary to push it through the chamber. Schumer then closed the floor, saying he would “give our Republican colleagues the night to figure themselves out” ahead of a crucial test vote Thursday.
The national security supplemental deal that included the border funding failed on a 49-50 vote. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine; James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska and Mitt Romney, R-Utah joined most Democrats in voting in favor of the legislation.
Five Democrats, along with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, joined most Republicans in voting against the bill: Sens. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts; Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey; Alex Padilla D-California; Chuck Schumer, D-New York and Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts.
In an over-30-minute speech Wednesday on the Senate floor, Lankford, one of the bill’s principal Republican authors, said he is determined to sit down with anyone who wants to solve the problem, regardless of “which side of the aisle” they’re on.
“Americans are ticked off this isn’t resolved and they expect us to get things done,” he said. “Why don’t we do that?”
Added Lankford: “In this building and in the 202 area code that is Washington, D.C., border security is a political issue. But if we leave the 202 area code, everywhere else in the country, this is not a political issue, it’s a national security issue.”
In an interview ahead of Wednesday’s floor vote, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told NewsNation the border deal has “not been successful” in his view but expressed optimism about approving the foreign aid included in the package.
“Even though we’ve been unsuccessful getting the border provision done, we can’t quit trying,” Cornyn said. “At the same time, I don’t think we can hold up Ukrainian, Israeli and the Indo-Pacific aid.”
Republicans, steadfast in their demand for substantial changes to border security, remain unsatisfied with the proposal announced Sunday. This bill calls for tougher asylum standards and a border shutdown trigger mechanism, yet Republicans assert these measures fall short of their expectations.
“It was supposed to have a border security set of provisions in it,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. “That’s not what we got. We got a supplemental funding proposal with immigration provisions. It’s not a border security bill. It doesn’t do anything of the sort.”
He tried to downplay concerns about Congress’ ability to function when speaking with reporters Wednesday.
“We’re governing here,” Johnson said. “You’re seeing the messy sausage making the process of democracy play out and it’s not always pretty, but the job will be done at the end of the day.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, told NewsNation he thought it’s disgraceful Senate Republicans didn’t vote for border provisions too.
“It’s like, here’s a solution for the things that you’ve been asking for for months, and now they threw one of their own members under the train,” Fetterman said.
As the fate of this bill hangs in uncertainty, American aid for Ukraine is left in jeopardy. With dwindling ammunition and personnel, Ukraine’s forces face dire circumstances as the U.S. is unable to send weapon shipments.
Progress on comprehensive border legislation may be stalled until after the election.
Ukraine aid faces significant hurdles in the House due to increasing opposition from Republicans. Additionally, the House failed to pass a bill Tuesday night that would’ve allocated $17 billion in aid for Israel.
The narrow Republican majority in the House also failed to approve a measure to impeach Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday.
With a 214-216 vote, House Republicans may bring the articles of impeachment up for a vote again at a later time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
