"Glimmers of Hope": NYT assesses the possibility of passing an aid package for Ukraine in the US Senate
Kyiv • UNN
Despite the delay, there were hopes that the aid package for Ukraine and Israel in the Senate would eventually move forward
The U.S. Senate has postponed until Thursday a vote on a bill on a package of emergency national security spending, but despite the delay, there are glimmers of hope that the package of aid to Ukraine and Israel will eventually move forward, The New York Times reports, UNN writes.
Details
The publication notes that on Wednesday, the US Senate was "mired" in a bill to send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine and Israel after Senate Republicans blocked a compromise that would have combined aid with tough border security measures, postponing work without moving forward with an emergency national security spending package.
Democrats, seeking to save the aid from becoming a victim of former President Donald J. Trump's political campaign, promised to vote Thursday on a separate foreign aid bill without immigration policy measures, the newspaper writes. "But after a day of stalemate on Capitol Hill, Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and majority leader, announced that senators needed more time to agree on how to move forward on this alternative, which both Democrats and Republicans hoped would be successful," the publication says.
Schumer was reportedly hoping for a quick vote on Wednesday on what he called his "Plan B" for a relief package after the failure of the border deal. But by Wednesday evening, action had stalled, as Senate Republicans held a procedural vote for several hours, demanding assurances from Democrats that if they voted to allow the scaled-down aid bill to move forward, they would be allowed to propose changes, the paper noted.
Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told reporters that discussions are ongoing about how the money will be distributed to Ukraine and Israel.
So, after 7 p.m., Mr. Schumer said the Senate was adjourning to "give our Republican colleagues a night to sort things out.
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Despite the delay, there were glimmers of hope that the package of aid for Ukraine and Israel would eventually move forward. A bipartisan vote to advance the aid package would represent a remarkable turnaround after months of stalemate and likely put the measure on track for passage in the Senate within days
The measure provides $60.1 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for security assistance to Israel, and $10 billion for humanitarian aid to civilians affected by global crises, including Palestinians and Ukrainians.
"Even if Democrats manage to revive the aid bill in the Senate, it will still face stiff headwinds in the Republican-led House of Representatives, where right-wing lawmakers oppose sending more aid to Ukraine. Some have even threatened to oust Speaker Mike Johnson if he brings up any bill that contains it," the newspaper notes.
At the same time, members of both parties who defended the package warned that "the fate of Eastern Europe, as well as America's reputation on the world stage, hangs in the balance if Congress does not move forward.
