A massive 118 billion dollar aid package was revealed by Democratic and Republican senators late on Sunday that includes military aid to Israel and Ukraine and humanitarian aid to Gaza, but also includes dramatic restrictions on illegal immigration across the southern border with Mexico.
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The proposal was formulated after months of complex negotiations involving White House officials. U.S. President Joe Biden urged lawmakers to approve it immediately.
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Joe Biden, Israeli tank firing, Donald Trump
(Photo: Christopher Furlong/ Getty Images, RONDA CHURCHILL/Reuters, Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)
Reports about the agreement have swirled for months, and the text of the bill being released will allow leaders – including those Republicans who have already sworn off the proposal – to evaluate the legislation for themselves.
The 370-page bill includes the supplemental aid package requested by President Joe Biden for foreign conflicts, which would appropriate $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, and $10 billion for humanitarian aid, including in Gaza.
The bill includes a clause that prohibits the transfer of funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following suspicions that some of its employees were involved in the October 7 massacre. $4.83 billion in the package is allocated to support the United States' alliance in the Indo-Pacific region, given the strategic rivalry with China.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he plans to begin the process of considering the legislation this week as "the overwhelming majority of Senators want to get this done." But the agreement has already faced sharp criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders, and the odds for it passing in the House are unclear.
The political rift between Democrats and Republicans has resulted in the U.S. failing to approve a military aid package to Israel for almost four months since Hamas’ October 7 attack and the outbreak of the war between in Gaza.
Although there is almost no controversy over the need to provide Israel with aid, Biden insisted on tying it to assistance for Ukraine, aid that Republicans strongly oppose.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
(Photo: EPA/UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT)
House Republicans, for their part, said they would advance a proposal that would include exclusive aid to Israel, amounting to $17.6 billion including $3.5 billion for the U.S. military and enhancing security at U.S. embassies in the Middle East.
The bipartisan proposal seeks to make a significant change in the field of immigration in the U.S. in decades, during which Democrats and Republicans have struggled to reach a compromise. Surveys indicate that this is one of the most troubling issues for the American public, given the massive numbers of migrants arriving in the country from the southern border.
The proposal would expand detention capacity and make it harder for people to qualify for asylum but would allow migrants who can claim credible fear, to stay in the country and work while their cases are considered.
Perhaps the most controversial element of the bill is a three-year policy to shut down the processing of asylum applications from people who crossed illegally if the number of expulsions and apprehensions of migrants reaches a week-long average of 4,000. It would create a mandated shutdown after a week-long average of 5,000 or more. Biden promised that should the bill pass, he would “shut down” the border immediately.
The bill was proposed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Schumer called the bill a "monumental step" and McConnell said it includes "direct and immediate solutions" and called upon the Senate to "carefully consider the opportunity in front of us and prepare to act."
Additionally, Schumer warned that without proper aid for Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin may not only win the ongoing war but also invade other parts of Eastern Europe.
Even if the proposal receives the Senate’s approval, a separate proposal will be advanced in the House of Representatives that includes exclusive aid to Israel without aiding Ukraine or addressing the immigration crisis. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Sunday evening that the bill is "even worse than expected" and said it will be "dead on arrival" if it reached the House.
Aid to Israel could pose a challenge for Democrats in the context of the bill as well: Senator Bernie Sanders, for example, demands to remove from the proposed aid package $10 billion aimed at providing offensive weapons to Israel, asking instead to deliver defensive weaponry only.