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Seventeen Senate Republicans, including prominent figures such as Mitch McConnell and Mitt Romney, joined Democrats to approve sending an additional $60 billion to Ukraine for weapons, military training, and other support in its conflict with Russia.
This move contradicts their previous statements suggesting that they would not support more funding for Ukraine until the U.S. southern border was secure from illegal immigration.
“The issue is not Ukraine, and it’s not President Zelensky. It’s our own national security at our southern border,” Sen. Joni Ernst said.
“They want tens of billions of dollars to help our friends and allies overseas, but they’re not willing to do what’s necessary to prevent a potential crisis at the border. The Biden administration just does not seem to care,” Sen. John Cornyn said.
“If there isn’t something reached in regard to our own border and we seem to have concern about the border of Israel and Gaza, Russia and Ukraine, we have to have the same consideration about our own border,” Sen. Chuck Grassley said.
“Now, the president sent us a national security bill and we said, OK, we’re going to do national security, but we’re not going to pass your bill until you close the border. And the president said, surely you’re not serious. And the Republicans in the Senate said, don’t call me Shirley and we are serious. We’re as serious as four heart attacks and a stroke,” Sen. John Kennedy said.
“So, we want to solve that to secure the border. I just saw the President of the United States say that we’ve got to secure the border. He’s right. So, any effort that doesn’t do that will be rejected by Republicans,” Sen. Mitt Romney said.
“Republicans are not bluffing: There will be no agreement on further Ukraine aid without serious measures to secure America’s own border. Our border is priority number one,” Sen. Dan Sullivan said.
“A lot of us Republicans are very eager to get Ukraine the aid it needs. But we cannot – we cannot – tend to our national security interests abroad while ignoring the national security crisis on our own doorstep,” Sen. John Thune said.
“We needed to demonstrate that Republicans are not going to pass a supplemental appropriation bill unless it takes care of very important restrictions on the southern border,” Sen. Roger Wicker said.
The approved funding, if passed by the House and signed by President Joe Biden, would bring the total amount sent to Ukraine to nearly $200 billion, with concerns raised about the lack of accountability for these funds.
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