In a letter to his Democratic colleagues on Sunday, Nov. 26, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., laid out his plan to bring a national security package to the Senate floor. The bill would include funding for both Ukraine and Israel aid and could be brought to a vote as early as next week.
The biggest holdup to the national security assistance package right now is the insistence by our Republican colleagues on partisan border policy as a condition for vital Ukraine aid
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
“One of the most important tasks we must finish is taking up and passing a funding bill to ensure we as well as our friends and partners in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region have the necessary military capabilities to confront and deter our adversaries and
competitors,” Schumer wrote.
This follows Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., attempt at pushing through an aid package to Israel while slashing IRS funding; that package passed the House but was quickly rejected by the Senate. For the Senate to pass any sort of Israel and Ukraine aid package, Senate Republicans insist it must include stricter border policies, an issue Schumer said is hyper-partisan.
“The biggest holdup to the national security assistance package right now is the insistence by our Republican colleagues on partisan border policy as a condition for vital Ukraine aid,” Schumer wrote.
Schumer added that his goal is to bring the package to a vote the week of Dec. 4, following an all-Senators briefing on Ukraine. Schumer also warned his colleagues of long days, nights, and weekends ahead as he stressed the importance of finding middle ground to pass an aid package.
“We have a lot that the Senate must get done before the end of the year” Schumer said. “Just as we have done all year, it will take bipartisan cooperation to move these bills through the Senate.”
