The U.S. Senate worked over the Super Bowl weekend to advance an aid package for Ukraine that’s been slowly moving through. The grueling progress of the bill, which is due to limited bipartisan support, comes near the two-year anniversary of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Tensions between the two have been ongoing for the last 10 years, after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, but escalated further in February 2022.
Sending the package, which currently puts a $95.3 billion price tag on aid to Ukraine, has some bipartisan support, including from Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the senate minority leader.
McConnell called the United States the “indispensable nation, the leader of the free world,” and said the world’s eyes are watching as America reacts to conflict.
Many Republicans are not in line with McConnell, especially as former president and current presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is actively opposing the package, and aid to Ukraine in general. Posting on his social media platform, Trump said the U.S. should stop being “stupid,” and suggested loaning instead of sending aid to Ukraine.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott brought up concerns that were echoed from others within his own party, posting on X (formerly Twitter), “Why should we vote to send money and resources to secure Ukraine’s border before we secure our own?”
The bill originally was tied to U.S. border security measures, but negotiations slowed down the process of the bill.
On Super Bowl Sunday, 18 Republicans joined with Senate Democrats to vote for the measure, however it hasn’t fully passed the Senate, and if it does, it’s likely to die in the GOP-controlled House.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, did not give an answer when asked about the aid, and said he’s waiting for the Senate process to finish. According to the Associated Press, some members of the House have said they could remove Johnson from the Speaker’s rostrum if he holds a vote on Ukraine.
On the Senate floor, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said there’s not, “a snowball’s chance in hell of getting it [the aid package] through the House.”
The bill includes $60 billion for Ukraine, most of it to purchase defense equipment and $8 billion for the Kyiv government.
The bill isn’t only about Ukraine though — it would also push through $14 billion for Israel and $9.2 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
