The House was poised to consider a bill solely focused on aid for Israel, which encountered bipartisan opposition and a veto threat from President Biden. Simultaneously, the Senate’s more comprehensive package, encompassing aid for Ukraine, seemed to be losing momentum.
The move by Congressional Republicans to dismantle a bipartisan border deal they had demanded has jeopardized the prospects of aid for Ukraine and Israel, shutting down a previously viable avenue on Capitol Hill for the approval of crucial military assistance to American allies.
Border Deal Talks (Credits: The New York Times)
The political gridlock, despite urgent pleas from President Biden, lawmakers from both parties, and global leaders for swift action, has immediately raised doubts about Congress’s ability to rescue the emergency aid package and, if successful, the manner in which it might be accomplished.
In the Republican-controlled House, where many conservatives have been resistant to new aid for Kyiv and the negotiated border deal in the Senate, legislators were scheduled to vote on a bill on Tuesday that would allocate $17.6 billion in military assistance to Israel.
However, this measure encountered significant resistance from hard-right Republicans who criticized the absence of spending cuts alongside the funding. Additionally, Democrats and President Biden opposed the bill, with the president threatening a veto and denouncing it as an attempt to preempt the security legislation brokered in the Senate.
The $118.3 billion Senate bill, slated for a test vote on Wednesday, also seemed to be on shaky ground even before reaching the floor. A growing number of Republicans, including those who initially spearheaded the negotiations, declared their intent to vote against it, signaling potential demise for the legislation.
