U.S. $ 118 billion bipartisan deal would boost border security and provide wartime aid for Ukraine and Israel
The United States (U.S.) Senate has approved a U.S. $ 118 billion bipartisan deal that would boost border security and provide wartime aid for Ukraine and Israel.
The U.S. President – Joe Biden’s Administration has been pushing to resupply Ukraine with wartime aid. However, they faced resistance from conservative Republicans who have insisted on measures to tackle illegal immigration at the border with Mexico.
The newly approved bill funds will help Ukraine fight the invading Russian forces. Of the total funds, Ukraine would get U.S. $ 60 billion. Biden has urged the U.S. Congress to swiftly pass the deal so he could sign it into law.
Taking it to X, Biden tweeted,
We’ve reached an agreement on a bipartisan deal that includes the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades. And it includes support for Ukraine and Israel and provides humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 5, 2024
I urge Congress to pass this bill immediately. pic.twitter.com/jGuiDDxIO9
Separately, the deal also provides U.S. $ 14.1 billion in military aid to Israel. A sum of U.S. $ 2.44 billion would go to address security in the Red Sea, where Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched dozens of attacks on commercial shipping, and U.S. $ 4.83 billion would go to support partners in Asia where tensions have spiked between China and Taiwan.
The deal also grants new powers to Biden to immediately expel migrants if authorities become overwhelmed with asylum claims. The applications at the border would be subject to quicker and tougher enforcement.
Illegal immigration is one of the key concerns in the upcoming Presidential polls in the U.S. The former President of the U.S. – Donald Trump, is campaigning heavily on claims of an “invasion from the Southern border. The bill could also face resistance from some Democrats over its provision of more military aid for Israel, which is under mounting international pressure over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Apart from aid to Ukraine and Israel, the bill also includes U.S. $ 20.23 billion for border security, U.S. $ 2.44 billion to U.S. Central Command and the conflict in the Red Sea and U.S. $ 4.83 billion to support U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific facing aggression from China. In addition, it includes U.S. $ 10 billion towards humanitarian assistance for civilians in conflict zones, including in Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank.
The bill faces uncertain prospects in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a majority. The House of Representatives Speaker – Mike Johnson has said that the bill is even worse than expected and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created.
