The Senate passed a $95 billion national security supplemental package to assist Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific after a tedious procedural process that came to an end early Tuesday morning.
The final vote was 70 to 29, with 22 Republicans voting yes. Democratic Sens. Peter Welch and Jeff Merkley, plus independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, voted no.
The supplemental package does not include any border security provisions and comes as the national debt soars above $34 trillion. Calls to offset the spending with cuts elsewhere went unheeded. Several Republicans spent hours — since the beginning of the weekend — collectively filibustering the package on the Senate floor. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, committed to filibustering the bill for four hours on Saturday and continued early Tuesday.
The package includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and nearly $5 billion for the Indo-Pacific. Democrats brought the package up for a vote after Republicans had blocked the $118 billion package that also included numerous border and immigration provisions — negotiated by a group of bipartisan senators and Biden officials — last Wednesday.
The U.S. has already spent more than $100 billion in aid for Ukraine since its war against Russia began in Feb. 2022.
“This bill gives the finger to American taxpayers,” Paul said on the floor before the final vote. “This bill gives the finger to all of America — this bill is Ukraine first, America last.”
By Monday, several GOP senators were hoping for a breakthrough to get their amendments heard, which mainly included hardline border security-related provisions.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced an amendment identical to the House’s immigration bill, H.R. 2, which would restore most Trump-era restrictions, hire additional border patrol officers and tighten asylum screenings.
Republican Sens. Roger Marshall, JD Vance, and Josh Hawley were just a few other senators who spoke in opposition to the bill on Monday, continuing the filibuster. Meanwhile, GOP Sens. Mitt Romney and Thom Tillis were just a few who urged their colleagues to “delay” no further and pass the package.
Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas became emotional in a floor speech in support of the bill.
“I believe in America first, but unfortunately America first means we have to engage in the world,” Moran said.
Which Republicans voted yes on the foreign aid bill?
– John Boozman
– Shelley Moore Capito
– Bill Cassidy
– Susan Collins
– John Cornyn
– Kevin Cramer
– Mike Crapo
– Joni Ernst
– Chuck Grassley
– John Hoeven
– John Kennedy
– Mitch McConnell
– Jerry Moran
– Lisa Murkowski
– James Risch
– Mitt Romney
– Mike Rounds
– Dan Sullivan
– John Thune
– Thom Tillis
– Roger Wicker
– Todd Young
Democrats brought the package up for a vote after Republicans had blocked the $118 billion package that also included a slew of border and immigration provisions on Wednesday. Republicans had previously said they would not approve funding for Ukraine unless the overwhelmed southern border was secured first.
The border-foreign aid package was unveiled last weekend and hit a buzzsaw of conservative opposition from Republicans who said the package would normalize historic levels of illegal immigration and continue catch-and-release. Conservatives joined with some liberal Democrats in shutting down the bill, so Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer prepared a vote without the border package as a backup plan.