ALBAWABA - As the Republicans continue to press for the increase of border security with Mexico, the U.S. Senate decided to dunk an emergency aid bill that was supposed to provide billions of dollars in new security assistance for Ukraine and Israel.
The aid bill initially needed 60 votes to be passed, however, the vote was 49 in favor to 51 against, leaving the $110.5 billion measure short of 11 votes needed.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent senate who usually sides with the Democrats, has taken the Republicans' side this time expressing concerns about funding Israel's "current inhumane military strategy" against Palestinians.
In a statement, Sanders voiced his opposition saying: "I do not believe that we should give the right-wing extremist Netanyahu government an additional $10.1 billion with no strings attached to continue their inhumane war against the Palestinian people".
The $14.3 billion in funding for Israel, in addition to nearly $4 billion in military assistance the US supplies the country annually, is part of a wider package proposed by Biden that includes over $61 billion for Ukraine. Funding is included for Biden's other national security priorities, Anadolu reported.
In response, President Joe Biden released a statement expressing his frustration towards the Republicans, saying that they are "playing chicken with our national security, holding Ukraine’s funding hostage to their extreme partisan border policies".
"Let me be clear: We need real solutions. I support real solutions at the border. Republicans think they can get everything they want without any bipartisan compromise. That’s not the answer. That’s not the answer. And now they’re willing to literally kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and damage our national security in the process,".
