Senate easily exceeded the threshold of 60 votes required to speed up the processing of the bill. 80 senators (48 Democrats and 32 Republicans) voted for the motion to limit the debate, and 19 voted against it (17 Republicans, two Democrats). The result suggests that the package will be adopted with an overwhelming majority, larger than in February, when the Senate supported a different version of the package. Then 70 senators voted for it.
“We tell our opponents: don't mess with us.”
– Today, the Senate sends a united message to the world: America will always defend democracy in its hour of need. We say to our allies: we are with you. We tell our opponents: don't mess with us. We are telling the world: we will do everything possible to defend democracy and our way of life, said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer after the vote.
The vote means that the Senate has a maximum of 30 hours to end the debate and move to a vote on the adoption of the bill. According to Bloomberg and other media, this may happen earlier, on Tuesday evening or at night. This paves the way for the final conclusion of the package six months after President Joe Biden submitted it. The president announced the immediate signing of the act and the equally quick sending of the first arms package.
In his speech, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell he criticized politicians from his own party for withholding aid Ukraine, accusing them of contributing to the deterioration of the situation at the front.
– Let no one have any illusions: the delay in supplying Ukraine with weapons (…) has undermined the prospects of defeating Russian aggression (…). I won't beat around the bush when members of my own party treat the responsibilities of American leadership so lightly. Today the Senate faces a test. And we cannot fail to meet it McConnell said.
Members of both parties demand a vote on the amendments. Independent senator Bernie Sanders, who belongs to the Democratic club, reported, among others: amendments imposing restrictions on military aid to Israel. However, the adoption of any changes is unlikely because it would mean that the House would have to vote on the entire package again.
USA. Aid package passed by the House of Representatives. Zelensky “grateful for the decision”
On Saturday, the aid package was passed House of Representatives. Act on aid for Ukrainy is worth almost USD 61 billion, of which PLN 23 billion are funds for replenishing losses in the arsenal as a result of donating equipment to Ukraine, PLN 13.8 billion for the purchase of equipment for Ukraine, and PLN 11.3 billion for maintaining US forces in the region.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky After the vote, he said he was “grateful to the House of Representatives United Statesboth sides, and personally to Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps the story on track“.
The aid has been unable to be passed on Capitol Hill for several months. The breakthrough was achieved last week, when the Speaker of the House presented a new plan and divided the components of the Senate package into three separate bills and, adding the fourth, Mike Johnson explained that he decided to go against the grain of some politicians of his own party because “believes intelligence information” about the Vladimir Putin will not stop in Ukraine and “may move to the Balkans” or “engage in a confrontation with Poland“.
The package being considered by the Senate combines funds for military and financial aid for Ukraine (60.8 billion), Israel and humanitarian aid for the Palestinians (26 billion) and Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region (8 billion). Additionally, the bill also includes a number of potential sanctions against Russia and Iran, as well as regulations allowing the confiscation of Russian assets in the US and a law forcing the Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok within 12 months.