wsj.com
By Siobhan Hughes, Matthew Luxmoore, Catherine Lucey
Dec. 6, 2023
Republicans Block Ukraine Aid Bill, Putting New Pressure on Border Talks
GOP demands border measures in exchange for supporting foreign-aid package
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Democrats’ sweeping foreign-aid measure providing $110.5 billion for Ukraine, Israel and other global hot spots was blocked by Republicans in an initial procedural vote. Forty-nine senators backed the measure and 51 were against, falling short of the 60-vote threshold needed to advance.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) had originally voted in favor, but he changed his vote in order to preserve the right to bring the bill up again. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), who caucuses with Democrats, also voted against the measure.
In remarks just ahead of the vote, Biden warned that failure by Congress to pass new aid for Ukraine could ultimately lead the U.S. into direct conflict with Russia if it won and continued to march westward. He said the administration is willing to work with Republicans to do “significantly more” on border security to get a deal done while also chiding GOP lawmakers.
“Republicans think they get everything they want, without any bipartisan compromise. That’s not the answer,” Biden said. He accused them of “playing chicken with our national security.”
The White House has warned that the U.S. will be unable to continue providing weapons and equipment to Ukraine if no additional funding is approved by the end of the year.
The defeat on the Senate floor marked a major public blow for backers of Ukraine aid and raised fears that there isn’t enough political will in Congress to pass more assistance, which has topped $100 billion since the war began. But its failure also drew clearer lines on where both parties stand and could set the stage for several weeks of breakneck talks to reach a compromise before Christmas.
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cnn.com
By Lauren Fox
Wed November 29, 2023
Democrats divided over whether to attach conditions to Israel aid
Senate Democrats on Wednesday continue to debate whether more conditions need to be placed on aid sent to Israel, just one in a series of hurdles stalling a legislative package members in both chambers of Congress hope to send to aid Israel, Ukraine and the US southern border.
Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, who has been outspoken in advocating for conditions to be placed on any aid to Israel, told CNN on Wednesday morning that he would not necessarily vote against an aid package if conditions were not included.
Pressed on if he’d still back aid to Israel without conditions, Welch told CNN: “We’re not at that point yet. So I’ve always supported Israel aid and I expect that I will, but I’m making my point of concern, very clear.”
Many Senate Democrats who are opposed to conditioning aid to Israel have argued that the administration is engaging already with Israel about how it conducts its military operations and that international laws already exist to govern the rules of war. Democrats met with IDF officials Monday night to discuss the issue as well.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who has also been advocating for conditions on the aid, wouldn’t say Tuesday when pressed on if he’d vote against an aid package to Israel if more conditions were not included.
Conditions on the aid was the topic of a robust debate in Democratic lunch on Tuesday, members told CNN. But the chances of conditioning aid aren’t likely as top Democrats including Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have warned against it.
Republicans have outright rejected adding them including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer dodged the question earlier this week when pressed by CNN’s Manu Raju.
Any package that passes the Senate would also have to get through the GOP-led House, which is also likely to reject conditions on the aid to Israel.
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Murphy was deeply skeptical a deal can be reached this week — even though the group is trying to secure an accord that could pave the way for passage of the Ukraine and Israel aid. Murphy had said earlier this week that the group needed to have a deal by week’s end in order to have time for Congress to consider the larger package before Christmas.
“I think it’s becoming less and less likely that we’ll have a deal by the end of the week,” Murphy told CNN on Wednesday.
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CNN’s Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer and Lauren Koenig contributed to this report.