US lawmakers are racing to save a military aid package for Ukraine and Israel after the Senate nixed a bipartisan border deal. The failed agreement combined US-Mexico border restrictions with aid to Ukraine and Israel. After the pact crumbled due to Donald Trump urging Republicans to block it, Senators are now trying to develop a new version of the legislation. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has proposed a backup bill, which eliminates the immigration measures while retaining foreign aid.
The $96 billion package consists of $60 billion in support for Ukraine, $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, $9.15 billion in humanitarian aid for the situations in Israel and Ukraine. An additional $2.44 billion is included in the bill to back US operations in the Red Sea, and $4.83 billion is allocated to support US allies in the Indo-Pacific to deter aggression by the Chinese government. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team declared the bill “a waste of time” because it would be “dead on arrival” in his chamber.
The next three most senior Republicans in the upper chamber – John Cornyn, John Thune, and John Barrasso of Wyoming – all voted against the bill. Only four Republicans backed the measure, while six Democrats also cast votes against it. Nonetheless, Democrats and Republicans continue to negotiate over the revised package even as the Senate adjourned until Thursday due to a deadlock.