In a new development highlighting the divide among Republican senators regarding aid for Ukraine and Israel funding, Senator Lindsey Graham expressed his belief that separating the two would be a “huge mistake”. Graham’s statement comes after he listened to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee. He stated that he supports keeping the aid package together and explained that Secretary Blinken and Austin provided a compelling reason why they should not be separated.
On the other hand, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the White House, are pushing for an aid package that funds both countries. However, the new Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, announced his intention to have a standalone aid package for Israel hit the House floor. McConnell argued that the security of the United States is dependent on supporting both countries and that they must be linked together. This position is also supported by other senior Republicans and the Biden White House, which threatened to veto the House’s standalone aid bill for Israel.
Despite McConnell’s push to link Ukraine aid to an Israel package, there is a sizable faction of GOP senators who believe that the two should be separated. Senator Mitt Romney, who supports aid to Ukraine, made a similar argument, stating that he doesn’t believe a standalone package will pass both chambers. He also disagreed with the proposal to cut IRS funding to pay for an Israel aid package.
While Senate Republicans remain divided on McConnell’s approach, Republican Senator Rand Paul criticized him for attempting to undercut Speaker Johnson and argued that the conservative base will reject McConnell’s strategy. Paul supports Johnson’s efforts to fund Israel through rescinding IRS enforcement money.
Other senators, such as Rick Scott, Eric Schmitt, and Josh Hawley, also believe that McConnell’s push to tie the two issues together is misguided. They argue that the aid packages should be separated.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have been united in their opposition to the House bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the bill as “insulting” and expressed disappointment that it doesn’t include funding for Ukraine while cutting IRS enforcement funding. Schumer and other Democrats believe that emergency foreign aid should not be offset by spending cuts.
In conclusion, there is a clear divide among Republican senators regarding aid for Ukraine and Israel funding. While some support linking the two issues together, others argue for separate aid packages. Senate Democrats have been critical of the House bill and oppose the inclusion of spending cuts for Israel aid. The debate over these aid packages continues to unfold in Congress.
