Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) issued a stark ultimatum on Monday, suggesting that without Republican support for his $100 billion border “security” bill, American sons could be sent to fight in Ukraine.
The Senate’s proposed $118.28 billion national security supplemental package includes $60 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. Schumer announced that the first vote on the bill is slated for Wednesday.
Per Democrat Senator Patty Murray, the $118.28 billion national security supplemental package will include the following:
- $60.06 billion to support Ukraine as it fights back against Putin’s bloody invasion and protects its people and sovereignty.
- $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel.
- $2.44 billion to support operations in the U.S. Central Command and address combat expenditures related to conflict in the Red Sea.
- $10 billion in humanitarian assistance to provide food, water, shelter, medical care, and other essential services to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine, and other populations caught in conflict zones across the globe.
- $4.83 billion to support key regional partners in the Indo-Pacific and deter aggression by the Chinese government.
- $2.33 billion to continue support for Ukrainians displaced by Putin’s war of aggression and other refugees fleeing persecution.
- The bipartisan border policy changes negotiated by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and James Lankford (R-OK).
- $20.23 billion to address existing operational needs and expand capabilities at our nation’s borders, resource the new border policies included in the package, and help stop the flow of fentanyl and other narcotics.
- The Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act.
- $400 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to help nonprofits and places of worship make security enhancements.
During an MSNBC interview on Monday, Schumer Threatened the possibility of sending U.S. troops to fight against Russia unless Republicans get on board with his $118 billion world-aid bill.
“We’re at a turning point in America. This bill is crucial and history will look back on it and say did America fail itself,” said Schumer, “If we don’t aid Ukraine, Putin will be walk all over Ukraine, we will lose the war and we could be fighting in eastern Europe and a NATO ally in a few years. Americans won’t like that.”
Watch:
.@SenSchumer threatens to send U.S. troops to fight Russia unless Republicans agree to his $100 billion world-aid bill:
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 5, 2024
“If we don’t aid Ukraine, Putin will be walk all over Ukraine, we will lose the war & we could be fighting in eastern Europe & a NATO ally in a few years.… pic.twitter.com/run7FcvwRN
In the coming days, the Senate must act decisively on this emergency national security supplemental funding.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 4, 2024
On Monday, I will take the first procedural step to getting this passed in the Senate with the first vote scheduled for Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/wUQuq7CnJU
Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and therefore does not have the protection of the United States.
Reuters has more details on the $118 billion package:
The U.S. Senate on Sunday unveiled a $118 billion bipartisan border security bill that would also provide aid to Ukraine and Israel, but it promptly slammed into opposition from the House of Representatives.
“I urge Congress to come together and swiftly pass this bipartisan agreement,” President Joe Biden said, also praising the migration measures in the bill, which took months to negotiate.
However, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson declared it “dead on arrival” if it reaches his chamber.
“This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the president has created,” he said in a statement on X, formerly called Twitter.
The Democratic and Republican Senate backers of the wide-ranging U.S. border security and foreign military aid bill pledged to push ahead, despite opposition by Donald Trump as well.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would take steps to hold an initial vote on the bill on Wednesday.
