Senators divide over Biden's $106 Billion bill
3 Min Read
US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged Republican senators to vote against President Biden's $106 billion supplemental request, citing partisan disagreements on border policy.
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Members of Congress prayer in the House chamber before the House meets for the fourth day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. (AP)
US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged all Republican senators on Tuesday to vote against legislation on Wednesday to approve US President Joe Biden's $106 billion supplemental request because of partisan disagreements on border policy issues.
During a press conference, McConnell said "I'm advocating and I hope all of our members vote 'no' on the motion to proceed to the shell [bill]...we insist on meaningful changes to the border."
In a separate press conference, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Republican senators are offered to draw up an amendment to the bill, but it would need 60 votes to pass.
What does the bill include?
Earlier in the day, Schumer said a vote on Biden's supplemental request would take place on Wednesday afternoon.
The supplemental request from the Biden administration encompasses $106 billion in assistance for both "Israel" and Ukraine, as well as funding for US border security. Republicans are pushing for more substantial revisions to the bill to more effectively tackle the crisis along the US southern border with Mexico. Meanwhile, some staunchly oppose any further aid for Ukraine.
Unlike Ukraine, "Israel" uses its funds to pay for US weapons, services: Pentagon
Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder threw shade on Ukraine by comparing it to "Israel"'s commitment to paying for US military articles and services with its funds, including State Department-provided foreign military financing for certain items.
During a press briefing, Ryder said that "[The US Department of Defense] has not received appropriated funds or drawdown authority for Israel. Instead, Israel is using its funds to pay for US defense articles and services to include State Department-provided foreign military financing for some items that are sold through foreign military sales, as well as direct commercial sales."
The funding for Ukraine is budgeted and hence trackable via the Presidential drawdown authority announcements made by the Pentagon, according to Ryder.
Read next: Ukraine may lose war if US funding falls through: Yermak
Since the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the beginning of Israeli aggression, the United States declared its full support for Netanyau's government, which naturally raised fears in Kiev that the flow of financial and security aid would be diverted to "Israel".
At the same time, the Pentagon is refusing to provide data on the amount of support for "Israel", while the figures for support for Ukraine are public and are published regularly.
Moreover, due to a last-minute change of plans, Volodymyr Zelensky will not be able to provide US senators a briefing on Tuesday afternoon, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said during a press conference.
Schumer said that "Zelensky by the way could not make it to our, something happened at the last minute, to our briefing at 3 [p.m.]."
