The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday to proceed with a $95.3 billion foreign-aid package, with $14.1 billion for Israel, $60 billion for Ukraine and $9.1 billion in humanitarian aid for global hotspots, including Gaza.
The procedural vote, which passed 67-32, clears the way for the Senate to vote on the package itself in the coming days.
Biden first proposed the aid package in October, shortly after Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel. It has been in limbo for months, as Senate Republicans negotiated a compromise bill with additional funding and reforms for U.S. border security.
That process collapsed in dramatic fashion on Monday after the text of the compromise bill was released, with House Republican leaders saying it was “dead on arrival” in the lower chamber.
Some Democrats criticized Republicans on Thursday for wasting time in demanding border security measures before seemingly dropping that demand entirely.
“I am, however, beyond disappointed by my Republican colleagues’ cynical, absurd flip-flop on their demand to pair border policy changes with this legislation, foolishly delaying for months the critical aid that our Ukrainian partners desperately need to continue their stand against Putin,” stated Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).
While the procedural vote on Thursday garnered 16 Republican “yea” votes, it’s unclear whether enough Republicans will vote for final passage to clear the 60 votes needed to break the filibuster for final passage.
The Senate will now consider amendments and additional procedural votes before a vote on the bill is expected in the coming days.