The Senate adjourned for the holidays on Wednesday without reaching a deal on Ukraine aid and will not return to Washington until January 8.
The Senate was initially due to break for holiday recess at the end of last week but Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had senators return on Monday to try and reach a border deal to unlock a massive $111 billion spending package that includes military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Republicans want significant changes to asylum and immigration laws to restrict the flow of migrants entering the country before approving the foreign military aid package, which includes over $60 billion to fund the Ukraine war for another year. The White House has indicated it’s willing to support new immigration restrictions, but it’s unclear when an agreement will be made.
According to The Hill, a group of Senate and White House negotiators have agreed to hold virtual meetings over Christmas and New Year’s break, but no votes will happen until next year. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) adjourned his chamber last week. Johnson and other Republican leadership have made clear they will support the foreign military aid package once the Democrats make enough concessions on border policy.
Democrats are lashing out at Republicans for not approving the aid for Ukraine. “You know who is going to have the best Christmas imaginable? Vladimir Putin,” Sen. Mark Warner wrote on X. “Our failure to renew aid to Ukraine is a tremendous gift to him. We must get it done next year.”
The $111 billion bill includes $14 billion in additional military aid for Israel to support its Gaza onslaught. House Republicans passed a separate bill to give Israel the $14 billion that cut funding to the IRS, but it was not taken up by the Senate.
Source: AntiWar.
