US Senate majority leader awaits vote on Ukraine aid next week
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that the Senate will vote on a supplemental national security bill next week, which includes a bipartisan agreement on border security and aid to Ukraine and Israel.
As reported by Politico, he stated that the agreement's text would be published on Friday or Sunday. He plans to hold a vote on the bill no later than Wednesday next week.
"That will give members plenty of time to read the bill before voting on it," Schumer said.
Many members of the Senate Appropriations Committee stressed that they want enough time to study and discuss the text of the bill after it is published.
Republican negotiator Senator James Lankford said that "there are people that have requested three days [to read the draft bill] and there are people that have requested three weeks."
It is unclear whether Senate leadership will permit amendments to the package, which could significantly delay the final vote.
It is also unclear whether House Speaker Mike Johnson will call a vote on the bill if it passes the Senate.
According to previous reports, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson told the three leaders of the Baltic countries' parliaments that the issue of border protection with Mexico, as well as the additional funding associated with it for Ukraine, would likely be split into separate bills due to concerns about border policy reform.
However, the White House stated that the administration of US President Joe Biden is not discussing with Congress the possibility of splitting funding for Ukraine and Israel into separate bills.
Republican Representatives are demanding that the White House take decisive action to curb illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border.
Disagreement over what measures should be taken has meant that a supplemental funding package that includes US$61 billion for Ukraine has been stalled in Congress.
In early January, the White House said that the US had no money earmarked for further military aid for Ukraine until a new package by the US Congress was adopted.