Ukraine, Israel help, TikTok ban saga nears finish as Senate plans vote
Good morning, US politics weblog readers. The lengthy and winding street of Joe Biden’s proposal to ship tens of billions of {dollars} in overseas help to Ukraine, Israel and different US allies could lastly attain its conclusion at this time. Starting at 1pm ET, the Senate is about to vote on a invoice accepted by the Home of Representatives final week that authorizes the help – and forces TikTok’s mother or father firm ByteDance to divest from the social media app in a 12 months, or face a nationwide ban. The laws is predicted to cross, however not with out some drama – impartial senator Bernie Sanders says he’ll provide amendments to chop funding for Israel’s offensive operations, citing the humanitarian impression of its invasion of Gaza, and you might even see different amendments supplied by Republicans cautious of backing Kyiv.
Assuming not one of the amendments handle to stall its progress, and the invoice makes it by means of the Senate, at this time will cap an odyssey that started in October when Joe Biden paired one other spherical of funding for Ukraine’s protection towards Russia with help for Israel that he mentioned was vital within the wake of Hamas’s October 7 assault. For months, the invoice had no clear path to passage, largely resulting from Republican resistance to funding Ukraine, and their calls for for strict border safety measures. However that resistance crumbled final week when Home speaker Mike Johnson determined to permit a vote on the help regardless of not getting the immigration modifications he wished, handing Biden and Ukraine’s supporters within the GOP, notably prime Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, an essential overseas coverage victory. We’ll let you understand how it’s wanting because the Senate convenes later at this time.
Right here’s what else is happening:
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Biden is heading to Tampa, Florida, to marketing campaign in a state he hopes to win in November, regardless that it hasn’t voted for a Democratic president since 2012. The president will condemn the state’s six-week abortion ban, which takes impact subsequent week.
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Primaries are taking place all around the nation at this time, together with in Pennsylvania, the place progressive Democrat Summer season Lee faces a challenger backed by a pro-Israel group.
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Donald Trump’s prison trial in Manhattan continues, with decide Juan Merchan contemplating whether or not the previous president violated a gag order. Observe our stay weblog for extra.
Key occasions
Sanders seeks to strip funding for Israel’s ‘offensive army’ operations from overseas help invoice
A lot has modified since October, when Joe Biden first proposed pairing one other spherical of army help to Ukraine with new help to Israel, in addition to different American allies. Most of the president’s allies are at this time in open revolt over his assist for the nation’s invasion of Gaza, which Biden has continued at the same time as he has publicly frightened over its humanitarian impression and known as for a ceasefire.
The overseas help invoice that Senate is predicted to approve at this time will embrace about $4.4bn to replenish depleted US provides given to Israel, $3.5bn to assist Israel purchase weapons, and greater than $5bn for its missile protection programs. It’s going to additionally make it simpler for Israel to purchase US weapons from different international locations.
Impartial senator Bernie Sanders, a progressive who caucuses with the Democrats, plans to make a stand towards that funding by providing an modification that may strip the help for offensive weapons from the bundle. Right here’s what the Vermont lawmaker needed to say:
I stay up for providing amendments tomorrow to chop billions in offensive army funding to Israel from the proposed nationwide safety supplemental bundle and defend important humanitarian operations. The Senate ought to have an opportunity to debate and vote on the important thing elements of such a large bundle.
In ballot after ballot, Individuals have confirmed their rising disgust for Netanyahu’s conflict machine and the humanitarian catastrophe it has precipitated in Gaza.
Sufficient is sufficient. We can’t proceed to fund this horrific conflict.
Ukraine, Israel help, TikTok ban saga nears finish as Senate plans vote
Good morning, US politics weblog readers. The lengthy and winding street of Joe Biden’s proposal to ship tens of billions of {dollars} in overseas help to Ukraine, Israel and different US allies could lastly attain its conclusion at this time. Starting at 1pm ET, the Senate is about to vote on a invoice accepted by the Home of Representatives final week that authorizes the help – and forces TikTok’s mother or father firm ByteDance to divest from the social media app in a 12 months, or face a nationwide ban. The laws is predicted to cross, however not with out some drama – impartial senator Bernie Sanders says he’ll provide amendments to chop funding for Israel’s offensive operations, citing the humanitarian impression of its invasion of Gaza, and you might even see different amendments supplied by Republicans cautious of backing Kyiv.
Assuming not one of the amendments handle to stall its progress, and the invoice makes it by means of the Senate, at this time will cap an odyssey that started in October when Joe Biden paired one other spherical of funding for Ukraine’s protection towards Russia with help for Israel that he mentioned was vital within the wake of Hamas’s October 7 assault. For months, the invoice had no clear path to passage, largely resulting from Republican resistance to funding Ukraine, and their calls for for strict border safety measures. However that resistance crumbled final week when Home speaker Mike Johnson determined to permit a vote on the help regardless of not getting the immigration modifications he wished, handing Biden and Ukraine’s supporters within the GOP, notably prime Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, an essential overseas coverage victory. We’ll let you understand how it’s wanting because the Senate convenes later at this time.
Right here’s what else is happening:
-
Biden is heading to Tampa, Florida, to marketing campaign in a state he hopes to win in November, regardless that it hasn’t voted for a Democratic president since 2012. The president will condemn the state’s six-week abortion ban, which takes impact subsequent week.
-
Primaries are taking place all around the nation at this time, together with in Pennsylvania, the place progressive Democrat Summer season Lee faces a challenger backed by a pro-Israel group.
-
Donald Trump’s prison trial in Manhattan continues, with decide Juan Merchan contemplating whether or not the previous president violated a gag order. Observe our stay weblog for extra.