Ukraine, Israel Aid Package Slips Through the Cracks, Again, in Government Funding Fight

A package meant to offer aid to Ukraine, Israel, and other countries will be left on the cutting room floor once again as Congress scrambles to keep the government open ahead of the Friday shutdown deadline. A bipartisan group, frustrated by Speaker Johnson’s inaction, is now trying to get its own legislation on the floor without his help. On Thursday, Mr. Johnson said at a press conference that the House was “actively considering options on a path forward” but offered no specifics on what an aid bill would look like or what kind of timeline he is imagining. He said the same when he left a meeting with President Biden on Tuesday. The $95 billion aid package — a version of the more than $100 billion national security supplemental budget that Mr. Biden requested last year — is awaiting consideration in the House after it passed by a large, bipartisan margin in the Senate. Mr. Johnson has said that because the bill doesn’t include harsh U.S-Mexico border enforcement measures, such as requiring the president to shut the border, it will not be put on the floor. That has led a small bipartisan group to begin circulating its own legislation to send military aid to Ukraine and Israel while also putting some immigration restrictions and border security measures on the books. The White House has already sent two military aid packages to Congress unilaterally but has been warning that if Ukraine is not sent weapons and munitions soon, then territory could be lost to Russia that will not be regained, no matter the future investments. On February 16, eight House members — four Republicans and four Democrats — introduced the Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act. One of the sponsors, Congressman Mike Lawler, said in a statement, “Our porous border and state-sponsored aggression pose an existential threat to the democratic world order and to our nation. We simply cannot let partisanship or gridlock prevent us from tackling these challenges.”The legislation would grant more leeway to border patrol agents in expelling migrants at the border if it can reasonably be believed that they have committed crimes in their home countries or are seeking asylum under false pretenses. It would also include nearly $50 billion in military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and partners in the Indo-Pacific. The lead Republican sponsor of the bill, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, said on Thursday that he has begun the process of circulating what is known as a discharge petition, which forces a floor vote on legislation if it can garner 218 signatures — a majority of House membership. He also promised that he would hold an open amendment process on the House floor if he could get that requisite number of signatures. On Thursday, the House passed a continuing resolution to extend government funding for one week. Some agency funding would be extended until March 8, and the rest would be extended until March 22 once the Senate passes the legislation and Mr. Biden signs it. The House voted 320-99 to pass the spending bill, with 97 Republicans and just two Democrats voting against the measure. Senator Schumer says the Senate will take it up as soon as Thursday night.

Ukraine, Israel Aid Package Slips Through the Cracks, Again, in Government Funding Fight

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