Senate to take up Ukraine, Israel foreign aid package

Washington — The Senate is opening activity connected a awesome overseas assistance package for Ukraine and Israel connected Tuesday, moving to extremity a monthslong backmost and distant pinch nan House complete nan assistance.  

After nan House approved nan $95 cardinal successful overseas assistance successful nan shape of 4 individual bills complete nan weekend, nan authorities comes to nan Senate arsenic a azygous package that is expected to walk and past caput to nan president's table later this week. 

The package includes $60.8 cardinal successful assistance for Ukraine, $26.4 cardinal to support Israel, on pinch humanitarian assistance for Gaza, and $8.1 cardinal for friends successful nan Indo-Pacific. It besides includes provisions to let nan waste of stiff assets of Russian oligarchs to thief money early assistance to Ukraine, on pinch a measurement that would perchance unit nan waste of TikTok aliases prohibition nan app successful nan U.S.

The precocious enclosure is slated to return procedural votes Tuesday afternoon, concisely returning from a scheduled recess to do so, earlier a ballot connected last transition apt by nan adjacent day.

A agelong push for overseas aid 

Approving nan overseas assistance has been a cardinal privilege for nan White House and galore successful Congress since past fall. This week's actions are expected to yet bring nan effort to a close, aft months of dispute, arsenic Republicans pursued a number of avenues to extract a much favorable GOP result from nan administration's push.

When nan White House sought further assistance for Ukraine successful its warfare against Russia, it was erstwhile House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who first insisted connected tying those costs to separator information measures successful nan last days of his speakership much than six months ago, stalling its way guardant absent an statement connected 1 of nan astir intractable issues successful Congress.

Months later, aft nan GOP had coalesced astir nan thought that Ukraine assistance and separator information should beryllium linked, a bipartisan group of senators managed to discuss an assistance package that included separator information provisions. But astatine erstwhile President Donald Trump's insistence, Republicans mostly rejected it. At nan time, Democrats accused nan GOP of refusing to reside nan border, fixed nan opportunity, because doing truthful could destruct a cardinal run rumor for nan erstwhile president. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer walks toward nan Senate Chamber connected April 16, 2024 successful Washington, DC.  Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Without Republican support for nan Senate-negotiated overseas assistance and separator information legislation, nan precocious enclosure moved guardant pinch nan assistance absent nan migration components. But aft nan Senate passed nan package successful February, Speaker Mike Johnson refused to bring it to nan House floor, pledging that nan little enclosure would find its ain way forward. 

On Saturday, nan enclosure yet did. In a package of bills that yet looked very akin to nan Senate-passed overseas aid, nan House approved nan funds, while a abstracted separator information measurement fell short. And though nan authorities featured components aimed astatine making it much palatable to Republicans — for illustration offsetting nan Ukraine assistance pinch a partial indebtedness building and allowing nan waste of Russian oligarch's stiff assets — much Democrats ended up supporting nan measures. 

The assistance had taken connected caller urgency aft an unprecedented airstrike by Iran against Israel earlier this period and amid dire shortages successful Ukraine successful its continued warfare against Russia. Johnson, who voted against Ukraine assistance arsenic a rank-and-file member, appeared to person a alteration of heart, speaking boldly astir nan chamber's work successful caller days and calling nan assistance "critically important" aft months of appearing lukewarm connected nan issue. 

The Ukraine assistance raised nan ire of far-right conservatives and whitethorn adhd to Johnson's troubles wrong his conference. But whether his caller maneuvering solidifies a push to region him from his station dangled by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene successful caller weeks remains to beryllium seen. 

The way guardant successful nan Senate

The transition of a akin overseas assistance package successful nan Senate earlier this twelvemonth suggests nan caller package will find ample support. With 70 successful favour to 29 opposed, nan precocious enclosure approved nan package connected a bipartisan ground successful February. And an eagerness to time off municipality for nan remainder of nan planned recess will apt lend to nan effort to quickly move nan package done nan enclosure this week.

Still, immoderate threats to slow its support remain. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, slowed nan package's march toward transition astatine each opportunity successful February and whitethorn do truthful again this week. The TikTok proviso successful nan package whitethorn besides animate immoderate guidance from a fistful of senators. But nan bulk of Democrats and a important information of Republicans are expected to yet backmost nan package. 

"The Senate now stands fresh to return nan adjacent step," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said successful a connection pursuing nan House vote. "Our friends crossed nan world person been waiting for this moment, and I guarantee them nan Senate is connected nan way to walk nan aforesaid measure soon."