The Senate is gearing up for a crucial vote on providing aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan after a bipartisan border security and foreign aid bill was blocked by Senate Republicans. This anticipated vote comes as a procedural step to determine whether to proceed with the foreign aid package, requiring a minimum of 60 votes for approval. If successful, further floor votes will be necessary to advance the bill to the House.
The border bill was ultimately defeated with a vote of 49-50, as Republicans unanimously filibustered the agreement. Initially supportive of the bill, they argued that it failed to address the escalating issue of migrant crossings at the southern border. Surprisingly, five Democrats joined their Republican counterparts in rejecting the bill, falling short of the required 60 votes needed to move forward. Only four Republicans, namely Senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and James Lankford, voted in favor of the bill.
Following this unsuccessful vote on the $118 billion package, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced his intentions to present an aid package for Israel and Ukraine, omitting border security provisions. However, due to the lack of sufficient votes, the Senate recessed until noon on Thursday to allow Republicans time to regroup.
Before the bipartisan border security bill was blocked, Schumer had already informed Democrats of his plan to introduce a supplemental aid package without the aforementioned border security measures. Expecting the procedural vote to fail, Schumer intended to call for another 60-vote threshold vote on the supplemental aid package that would include assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Additionally, the scaled-down bill would address the issue of fentanyl trafficking, according to a Senate Democratic aide.
It is worth noting that the new foreign aid bill had previously faced skepticism during a lunch meeting among Senate Republicans. Heated discussions ensued among members about whether to support the bill. Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the Republican whip, urged members to “stop being pussies and just vote,” as he reminded them that they would eventually vote on the issue.
Image: Senate Chamber
Author: Summer Concepcion
Summer Concepcion, a politics reporter for NBC News, has contributed to this article.
Source: F5mag.com