Congressional Republicans’ decision to torpedo a bipartisan border deal they had demanded has put the fate of aid to Ukraine and Israel in jeopardy and closed what was seen as the best remaining opportunity on Capitol Hill to approve key military aid to American allies.
The political paralysis amid pleas for quick action from President Biden, lawmakers from both parties and leaders around the world raised immediate questions about whether Congress would be able to salvage the emergency aid package — and if so, how.
In the Republican-led House of Representatives, where many conservatives have opposed new aid to Kiev and the border agreement negotiated in the Senate, lawmakers on Tuesday had to pass a bill to send $17.6 billion in military aid to Israel vote. But that measure faced stiff opposition from far-right Republicans, who complained that the money was not paired with spending cuts, as well as Democrats and Mr. Biden, who has threatened a veto and called the bill a cynical attempt to preempt the bill Senate negotiated security laws.
The $118.3 billion Senate bill, which is scheduled for a test vote Wednesday, also appeared dead before it even reached a vote, after a growing number of Republicans – even those who led the negotiations – said that they would vote to block it.
“Joe Biden will never pass any new law and refuses to use the tools he already has today to end this crisis,” said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican. “I can’t for this one Vote for the bill. Americans will be counting on the upcoming election to end the border crisis.”
The grim reality appeared to be sinking in for the country’s allies and diplomatic leaders, who watched anxiously for months, hoping for momentum to approve aid on Capitol Hill, despite clear signs that the strong bipartisan consensus for such a measure was slipping into the ground faltered.
In an unusual letter on Monday, a group of US ambassadors stationed in the Indo-Pacific region urged congressional leaders to ensure passage of legislation to support Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Pacific, citing America’s credibility vis-à-vis its strategic partners is at risk.
But what Mr. Biden and others had hoped might be a temporary political problem standing in the way of such an effort appeared instead to be a fundamental shift in dynamics in Congress that could derail it entirely.
For months, many in the White House and abroad had followed the conventional wisdom, assuming that the combined will of a handful of like-minded members of Congress, the chairman of the National Security Committee and Mr. Biden would be enough to finally put Ukraine on a new line.
But fired up by a restive voter base determined to send another round of aid to Ukraine, rank-and-file Republicans, particularly in the House of Representatives where the party holds a narrow majority, have flexed their muscles to support any real movement oppose.
After Tuesday morning there was reportedly no clear path for Congress to approve aid to Ukraine and Israel, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida cheered on social media. He quoted a line from the movie “Apocalypse Now”: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning!”
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2024-02-06 15:49:13
www.nytimes.com