AFP Washington
Washington
Updated Tuesday, February 13, 2024-15:15
USA The US Senate unblocks the process to resume aid to Ukraine
The United States Senate approved
$60 billion
in financing for Ukraine this Tuesday, but the bill runs the risk of
not being approved by the House of Representatives
, with a
Republican majority
, according to its president Mike Johnson.
The $95 billion package includes funding for Israel's military and its strategic ally, Taiwan, but the bulk -- $60 billion -- would help Ukraine replenish depleted supplies of ammunition, weapons and other crucial needs as it enters a third year of war.
The bill, which was passed with bipartisan support, does not include changes to
U.S.
immigration policy
. An
earlier Senate text
, covering both the border and foreign aid, was
blocked
by members of Johnson's own party, after he also promised to overturn it in the House of Representatives over concerns that it did not sufficiently address illegal border crossings.
"House Republicans were very clear from the beginning of the discussions that any so-called supplemental national security legislation must recognize that
national security begins at our own border
," Johnson said in a statement.
Johnson had previously declared that the Senate's first bill, which included some of the toughest immigration restrictions in decades but which he said did not go far enough, would be "dead on arrival" in his chamber.
His rhetoric matched that of former President Donald Trump, who has strongly called for the bill to be rejected as he runs for office again and seeks to exploit Joe Biden's alleged weakness on immigration.
The bill approved in the Senate has excluded immigration reforms and was approved by
70 votes in favor and 29 against
, with
the support of several Republicans
.