Senate to Vote on Ukraine, Israel After Border Measure Fails

Senate Democrats tried Wednesday to pin down more GOP support for a bill that would provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel and other allies, after Republicans blocked a broader legislative package that linked the foreign assistance to policy changes at the southern border.

The broader measure was the product of four months of bipartisan negotiations, but Republicans had made clear earlier this week that it had no path forward. With 49 in favor and 50 opposed, it fell short Wednesday of the 60 votes required to advance. GOP lawmakers initially had demanded border changes as a condition for Ukraine aid, but they later balked, saying the negotiated terms regarding migrants weren’t tough enough.

With the broader measure dead, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) moved to schedule a procedural vote to advance a narrower, $95.3 billion version of the package that would fund Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan but exclude border-security provisions. Democrats worked for several hours to guarantee enough Republican support, with Schumer ultimately saying they would hold the vote at noon Thursday.

But hurdles emerged. Asked in the early evening if Republicans could guarantee the votes for the slimmed-down foreign-aid package if they got the border-related amendment votes that some sought, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R., S.D.) said, “those are all really good questions, none of which have good answers at the moment.”

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