Staff Reports
The House last week sneaked through a whopping $95 billion in foreign aid and now it’s barreling its way to President Joe Biden’s desk faster than a speeding bullet. If the Senate agrees to fast-track the legislation, we could be watching the taxpayer dollars roll out the door as soon as Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is hustling to move this “expeditiously.” This aid is supposedly heading to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. But if his GOP buddies, who can’t even agree on where to get lunch, decide to cooperate, the timing might just work out.
Senate eyes swift passage of $95 billion foreign aid bill https://t.co/ETdfDt0aJi
— David Sivak (@DISivak) April 23, 2024
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) is already busting out the roadblocks, especially when it comes to that aid for Ukraine. He wants the Ukrainians to pay back the $9 billion in “forgivable loans” so that it can help chip away at our national debt. As if we’re not deep enough in the hole already!
Meanwhile, the lefties have their own demands, especially when it comes to Israel. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is making a fuss about tying aid to Israel to the civilian casualties in Gaza. They can’t just let things slide, can they?
Schumer won’t risk changes to the bill, because Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) already has a GOP rebellion on his hands over this whole aid business. If he tries to make any changes, it’s going to be a whole mess. But hey, he might offer a few token votes just for show before this thing gets the green light.
If Schumer can’t hurry this up, he might drag this out until Wednesday night. Then, the lawmakers can all go bail on their jobs for a little while. Must be nice to have that luxury!
The outcome of Tuesday’s vote might not be all that surprising. A similar bill passed in February, and the divisions in Washington are clear as day. But hey, at least 22 Senate Republicans are on board this time. That’s something, right?
Now, the Democrats are gung ho about this bill, even with their qualms about Israel’s scuffle with Hamas. They’ve got $9 billion earmarked for Gaza and they’re not backing down. Though they’re split on this, at least they’re determined to stick it to Israel one way or another.
No surprise, the bill comes with a few extra riders, including seizing Russian assets and potentially banning TikTok. But Johnson is feeling the heat from his own party, and there might be attempts to boot him out soon. However, the Democrats will undoubtedly swoop in to save the day.
Biden is already promising more aid to Ukraine once this thing gets the stamp of approval. It’s like Christmas for everyone except the American taxpayer!
