A procedural vote on aid to Ukraine failed in the US Senate: why?
What happened?
The bill to provide assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan failed a procedural vote in the US Senate. The bill had to receive at least 60 votes out of 100 to be put to a vote. Only 49 senators voted in favour and 51 against.
The voting was conducted on a party basis: every Republican in the Senate voted against it. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who usually votes with the Democrats, also voted against the bill. Sanders expressed concern about funding Israel's "ongoing inhumane military strategy" against the Palestinians.
After the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said that if Ukraine falls, it will have lasting consequences for the 21st century and risks the decline of Western democracy.
What kind of aid is it?
It is a $106 billion funding package, of which more than $61 billion is earmarked for Ukraine, and the rest is for assistance to Israel, Taiwan and border protection with Mexico. The White House asked Congress to approve the package back in October.
At first, the bill could not be passed due to the absence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and then due to the position of the newly elected Speaker, Mike Johnson. Svidomi previously reported on this.
Later, Mike Johnson told Senate Republicans that he supports assistance to Ukraine and believes that strengthening border security and funding for Ukraine are "inextricably intertwined."
Why are Republicans against it?
Republicans demand stricter requirements for migrants and stronger border security. Negotiations with the Democrats have failed because the Republicans do not want to make concessions. Democrats, on the other hand, are in favour of a comprehensive review of the migration system.
According to The New York Times, President Joe Biden's primary concern is the southern border. A large number of people are moving towards the border every day due to a wave of migration from Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras and other countries facing political instability, gang violence and natural disasters.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, scheduled a procedural vote on the bill for December 6, but it did not include provisions to strengthen the border, as demanded by Republicans.
Before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that Senate Republicans would not support additional aid to Ukraine and Israel unless a decision was made to strengthen the border with Mexico at the same time.
At the same time, McConnell stressed that they support the provision of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
We want this to pass. But when we talk about the border, my advice to the majority leader (Chuck Schumer — ed.) last week was that all of our members would oppose the proposal to move to a vote to hopefully demonstrate one last time that we insist on important changes on the border,
McConnell said.
White House calls for support for Ukraine
On December 4, White House Budget Director Shalanda Young sent a letter to congressional leaders stating that the US would run out of funds to help Ukraine by the end of the year if Congress did not approve new support.
If Ukraine’s economy collapses, they will not be able to keep fighting, full stop. Putin understands this well, which is why Russia has made destroying Ukraine’s economy central to its strategy—which you can see in its attacks against Ukraine’s grain exports and energy infrastructure,
she wrote.
The budget director noted that the money for Ukraine would benefit the US economy.
"While we cannot predict exactly which U.S companies will be awarded new contracts, we do know the funding will be used to acquire advanced capabilities to defend against attacks on civilians in Israel and Ukraine -- for example, air defence systems built in Alabama, Texas and Georgia and vital subcomponents sourced from nearly all 50 states," Young added.
How did Joe Biden react to the vote failure?
On the eve of the vote, US President Joe Biden addressed Congress and called on Republicans in Congress to put aside "petty, partisan, angry politics" and pass an aid package for Ukraine.
This cannot wait. Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess. It’s as simple as that. Frankly, I think it’s stunning that we’ve gotten to this point in the first place. The Republicans in Congress are willing to give Putin the greatest gift he could hope for and abandon our global leadership,
the US president said.
After the vote, Biden said on his X page that Republicans in Congress were threatening to cut off support for Ukraine unless they could force through their "extreme partisan border policies".
"It’s political blackmail, pure and simple. The stakes are too high, and the consequences are too significant for political brinksmanship," Biden added.
Is it possible the funding bill will still come to a vote?
During his address to Congress, Biden said he was willing to make "significant compromises" on border security to satisfy Senate Republicans who have refused to support further aid to Ukraine.
However, Republicans and Democrats have to reach an agreement and hold a vote by December 15, as congress members will then go on Christmas break.
According to the NYT, the Senate should have been an easier place for the White House to win support because Republicans, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, have generally been supportive of US aid to Ukraine, unlike their Republican counterparts in the House.
The White House had hoped that a decisive bipartisan vote in the Senate would put pressure on newly appointed House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has recently expressed support for Ukraine but previously voted against aid.
