SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK AID FOR UKRAINE, ISRAEL

Lawmakers demand changes to U.S. border policy

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked the advance of a $110 billion package of wartime funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as other national security priorities as they tried to force President Joe Biden to include changes to U.S. border policy.

The vote, a 49-51 tally that fell short of the Senate’s 60vote threshold for moving ahead, came just hours after Biden said it was “stunning” that Congress has not yet approved tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance for Ukraine.

Speaking at the White House, Biden said Republicans who are insisting on border policy changes as a condition for voting for the aid “are playing chicken with our national security,” even as he expressed openness to some policy changes.

“Republicans in Congress are willing to give Putin the greatest gift he could hope for,” Biden said, saying American credibility was on the line both with other would-be aggressors and with its allies. “Any disruption in our ability to supply Ukraine clearly strengthens Putin’s position.”

Biden has asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund the wars in Ukraine, Israel and other security needs, but has faced stiff resistance on Capitol Hill. Some Republicans have grown tired of providing support to Ukraine after the U.S. has already sent $111 billion, and other GOP lawmakers are insisting on stiff changes to U.S. border policy as a condition of voting for the measure.

Biden said he supports more funding for border security. “I am willing to make significant compromises on the border,” he said. “We need to fix the broken border system. It is broken.” He added that he’s ”ready to change policy as well,” but accused Republicans of wanting a political issue more than bipartisan compromise.

Senate Democrats tried to advance the aid package, but the legislation had no way forward as Republicans vowed to withhold support unless it includes changes to U.S. border policy. Negotiations over the legislation all but collapsed this week.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the result “a sad night in the history of the Senate and our country.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been an ardent supporter of aid to Ukraine, told fellow Republicans to vote against the security package advancing.

“Legislation that doesn’t include policy changes to secure our borders will not pass the Senate,” McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor earlier Wednesday.

By holding the test vote, Schumer dared his Republican counterparts to vote against the cause of Ukraine funding that most have previously supported.

As they look past the test vote, GOP senators have prepared a proposal for the bipartisan group in the talks. So far, senators have found some agreement on raising the initial standard for migrants to enter the asylum system but were stuck over placing limitations on humanitarian parole, a program that allows the executive branch to temporarily admit migrants.