"The tension is very high": due to internal political struggle, the draft law on financing for Ukraine remains on the verge of failure
Kyiv • UNN
The Ukraine-Israel funding bill remains at risk of failure due to Republican infighting in the US.
The $118 billion bill, which includes sweeping changes to the asylum system and a mechanism for closing the US border, was released after months of negotiations between political parties. However, after a closed-door meeting of Republican senators on Monday night, it became clear that Republicans could block the bill on Wednesday, February 07.
This was reported by UNN with reference to the Washington Post.
Details
A bipartisan package of border reforms and funding for Ukraine and Israel appeared on the brink of failure earlier this week, after the House speaker called it "dead," former President Donald Trump addressed counterarguments to the GOP's chief negotiator on the deal, and Republican leadership said it would likely vote against continuing consideration of the bill this week.
Following a closed-door meeting of Republican senators on Monday night, the GOP's chief negotiator on the deal, Senator James Lankford (Oklahoma), said he believes Republicans will likely unite to block the law on Wednesday - and that he himself might even vote against it.
At the same time, some Republican senators, including Lankford, said that the conference is discussing whether they will take more time to consider amendments to the bill.
The precipitous drop in support in the Senate reflects the upside-down politics of the border deal among Republicans, which began several weeks ago when Trump began criticizing it.
There is criticism from immigrant and refugee rights groups. For example, Amnesty International USA criticized the law as containing "the most extreme anti-immigrant proposals this country has seen in 100 years.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team initially demanded that the border reforms passed by the House be tied to funding for Ukraine. But now they have outlined their concerns in a joint statement, claiming that the legislation "fails" to secure the border and will encourage more illegal immigration.
Any consideration of this Senate bill in its current form is a waste of time. It is DEAD on arrival in the House of Representatives. We urge the U.S. Senate to reject it
On the other hand, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on February 5 supported a bipartisan bill that would fund border security and military assistance to Ukraine and Israel. McConnell is trying to find a way to convince his members to vote in favor of aid to Ukraine and Israel.
"My colleagues know my position
They know as well as I do that America's adversaries in Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran are working together to undermine us. But they realize that the time has finally come for the Senate to respond with force
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has issued a statement saying that the United States should not allocate another "dollar" for Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, but it is unclear whether he will vote against the entire package, the newspaper notes.
On Monday, the bill was already causing disagreement and infighting among Republican staffers. A meeting of Republican communications staffers became controversial after a staffer for Senator Mike Lee complained to a Lankford staffer that he felt betrayed.. According to two Republican aides, another meeting of Republican staffers devolved into shouting and accusations of a deal, according to two Republican aides.
The tension is very high. This bill is not going anywhere. Unfortunately, it only divides Republicans and sends Lankford to an island he doesn't deserve
AddendumAddendum
The bill needs 60 votes to overcome the first procedural vote, which, according to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, will take place on Wednesday.
This week, the House of Representatives is set to vote on a separate bill for $17.6 billion in additional aid to Israel, which aims to put pressure on the Senate to cut the larger package.
On Monday, the White House issued a statement saying that President Biden would veto the lawif it made it to his desk.
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