GOP divisions on display as 22 Republicans voted for Ukraine aid package despite Trump's protest; full list here
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose support for aid to Ukraine is increasingly at variance with the rest of the GOP, voted in favour of the bill.
The US Senate finally approved a $95 billion foreign aid package for Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific region on Tuesday morning, displaying a growing rift in the Republican party as 22 GOP senators ditched ex-President Donald Trump to back Democrats in passing the military assistance.
The 22 senators, most of whom are national security hawks including a number of veterans, provided the votes required to break through several filibusters supported by most of their peers, paving the way for the Senate to pass the bill
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, whose support for aid to Ukraine is increasingly at variance with the rest of the GOP and his allies in the conference, was one of the Republicans who voted in favour of the bill.
The $95.34 billion aid package include $60 billion in fresh funding to Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, and $9.15 billion for humanitarian help, including for Gaza. The bill will now be sent to the House of Representatives.
Passage of the measure was 70-29, with 22 Republicans voting in favor. Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Peter Welch (Vt.), two Democrats, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), were against the bill due to their reservations about its support for Israel.
“The thread that binds that group together is national security,” stated Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran, who is one of the 22. “America’s national security, the belief that what happens in Ukraine matters to the United States, the belief that what happens in Israel matters and the belief that what happens in the South Pacific matters.”
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However, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated he will not bring the bill to the floor, at least not in its current form.
“The mandate of national security supplemental legislation was to secure America’s own border before sending additional foreign aid around the world,” Johnson stated in a statement on Monday. “It is what the American people demand and deserve.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has raising his voice against foreign aid, said he thinks the GOP has been moving in his direction.
"The people up here (Senate) are a bit more neocon-ish, more interventionist than the people at home," Axios cited Paul as saying while speaking to the reporters. "I think it's shifted more towards people like me, at home."
Democrats hail Republicans who broke their party to support Ukraine aid
Democrats have praised the 22 Republicans who have extended their support for Ukraine.
“I think they understand the necessity of supporting Ukraine, particularly since this is a contest between a rules-based international order and Russian autocracy,” said Democrat of Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, according to The NY Times. “They also understand that it could involve our service members soon.”
A look at 22 GOP senators who voted for the bill:
- John Boozman of Arkansas
- Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
- Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- Susan Collins of Maine
- John Cornyn of Texas
- Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
- Mike Crapo of Idaho
- Joni Ernst of Iowa
- Chuck Grassley of Iowa
- John Hoeven of North Dakota
- John Kennedy of Lousiana
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
- Jerry Moran of Kansas
- Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- James Risch of Idaho
- Mitt Romney of Utah
- Mike Rounds of South Dakota
- Dan Sullivan of Alaska
- John Thune of South Dakota
- Thom Tillis of North Carolina
- Roger Wicker of Mississippi
- Todd Young of Indiana
