The vote was 49 in favor to 51 against, meaning the $110.5 billion measure did not obtain the 60 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to pave the way to start debate.
The vote was along party lines, with every Senate Republican voting no along with Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who generally votes with Democrats but had expressed concerns about funding Israel’s “current inhumane military strategy” against Palestinians.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also voted “no” so that he could introduce a motion to reconsider the measure. After the vote, Democrat Schumer said it was a “serious moment that will have lasting consequences for the 21st century,” risking the decline of Western democracy.
Republicans said it was essential to make their case for tighter immigration policies and control of the southern border.
The bill would provide about $50 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine, as well as money for humanitarian and economic aid for the government in Kyiv, plus $14 billion for Israel as it battles Hamas in Gaza.
I wonder how separate bills would do if they had separate ones for Ukraine and Israel.
Republicans would probably pass a clean Israel one and tack this junk onto the Ukraine one. The dumbest part is, a clean Ukraine bill and a clean Israel bill would both pass congress and the presidency with easy majorities. The fact we are having this issue at all is completely manufactured to try to shove through the dumb shit.
Edit: My prediction is we are going to eventually get a combined Ukraine/Israel bill with some random fat.
Pork barrelling never died … it just doesn’t get called that anymore.
Honestly the only reason I’m glad Republicans are doing this is that it makes it harder for Israeli aid to pass.
I wish they wouldn’t. Israel is perfectly capable of continuing their genocide without US funds, but Ukraine actually needs the money.
Yeah of course aid should go to Ukraine and not Israel, but while it could be just me but I can accept aid going to neither of Israel and Ukraine more than aid going to both.
Fuck Russia but there are a lot of people in the US tired of funding the world police. Other countries are always dunking on Americans for not getting healthcare or decent infrastructure for our tax dollars, all we get is more military spending. I don’t even have buses or bike lanes and I’m in a major US city. My wife runs a school kitchen and she gets to collect lunch debt. We funded free meals for kids after COVID for a year and it cost $10b. If we’re devaluing our dollars further by deficit spending, I want money spent domestically.
I want to see Europe fund this and fight this 100% on their own, this started over Ukraine wanting to be more European anyway. If we give aid I want it to be a loan that is repaid to the American people. Joe complaining about this when his family got millions from the Ukraine is a little suspect as well.
Europe, get off your ass, open your fucking wallets and take care of this Russian menace. American people don’t have more to give right now and our corporations sure as hell aren’t paying their fair share.
