US moves on Ukraine aid: Senate votes to consider the bill

On the evening of Friday, 9 February, the US Senate voted to proceed with the bill on the US$95.3 billion package funding Ukraine, Israel and other national security priorities.

Source: The Hill

Details: A total of 64 senators voted in favour of proceeding with the bill, and 19 voted against it. Fourteen Republicans joined Democrats and two independents to formally begin debate on the legislation.

This brings the bill closer to passing the upper chamber of the US government.

The senators voted after a full day of negotiations.

The bill "doesn’t include provisions to stop the flood of migrants across the southern border," The Hill reported.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat, New York) "stripped the border security provisions from the bill after all but four Republican senators voted to block it with the immigration and border reforms included," according to The Hill.

The bill would provide US$60 billion to Ukraine, US$14 billion in security assistance to Israel, US$9 billion for humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine, and US$4.8 billion to support US allies in the Indo-Pacific.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) urged his colleagues to advance the legislation, saying they have a "responsibility" to "provide for the common defense and equip the next commander-in-chief with the tools to exercise American strength."

McConnell said Senate Republicans modified President Biden’s funding request, noting that the legislation will require the administration to identify specific objectives, requirements and metrics for assistance to Ukraine.

He also pointed out that the Senate package provides US$9 billion more for US defence needs than what US President Joe Biden requested and shifts US$4 billion away from what the White House wanted to give Kyiv in direct budget support.

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