Dispute in the US Congress
Republicans threaten to block important Ukraine aid
February 5, 2024, 8:26 a.m
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The US Congress has been at a standstill for weeks due to disputes between Democrats and Republicans. A joint draft for border security and aid packages is being developed, but is in danger of failing in the House of Representatives. Ukraine could suffer as a result.
The US Senate has presented a new draft for an aid package for Ukraine and better security of US borders. The so-called National Security Amendment totals $118.3 billion, including $60 billion to support Ukraine, according to a summary released by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray. This amount corresponds to the demand of the White House. Also planned are $14.1 billion in support for Israel and $20.2 billion for border security.
The compromise negotiated by Democrats and Republicans also includes numerous changes to immigration policy. A first vote is expected on Wednesday at the latest. It is still unclear whether the bill will receive a majority of 60 of the 100 senators in the procedural preliminary vote. US President Joe Biden said he “strongly” supports the agreement. The compromise includes “the toughest and fairest border reforms in decades.” Biden called on Congress to “expeditiously pass” the bill so that he could then “immediately enact it.”
Republicans condemn package in advance
However, the bill – if it passes the Senate – is likely to fail in the House of Representatives. There, the opposition Republicans, among whom there are many opponents of new aid to Ukraine and resistance to a border compromise with the Democrats, make up the majority. President Biden’s Democratic Party has been wrestling with Republicans in Congress for weeks over an aid package for Ukraine. In return for their approval, Republicans are demanding tougher measures to secure the US border with Mexico.
Their majority in the House of Representatives allows them to block further funding for Ukraine as well as border protection legislation. Biden and the Democrats have gone a long way toward accommodating the Republicans in negotiations about securing the border with Mexico. The conservatives are still likely to block the border protection and Ukraine package in the House of Representatives. Republican leader Mike Johnson said a possible Senate deal would be “dead on arrival” in the House.
On Friday, however, he backtracked slightly on Fox Business and said he didn’t want to prejudge anything. However, after the bill was presented to him, Johnson announced on news platform X that the proposal was “even worse than expected.” For Ukraine, whose main military supporter in Russia’s war of aggression is the USA, a failure of the aid package would be a serious setback.