Senate Shows United Front on Israel, Ukraine Aid Despite Skeptical House

After three weeks of gridlock, Congress finally has a new speaker in Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson, meaning lawmakers can get to work passing aid for America's two embattled allies, Israel and Ukraine.

President Joe Biden has requested nearly $106 billion worth of aid, with $61.4 billion earmarked for Ukraine and $14.3 billion for Israel. Another $13.6 billion would go toward securing the U.S.-Mexico border and an additional $7.4 billion for Taiwan, which faces the encroaching threat of an aggressive China. The remaining $9.15 billion would be used for other humanitarian efforts.

Senate party leaders Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, are lockstep on the issue, with each man going great lengths to express the importance of addressing each of the issues collectively. McConnell, in particular, has stressed his support for the president's initiative, appearing on CBS and FOX on Sunday to voice his support.

"We have big power competition from China and Russia, and we still have terrorism problems, as the Israelis have certainly experienced in a brutal way in the last week," McConnell said on CBS. "I think that requires a worldwide approach rather than trying to take parts of it out. It's all connected."

Despite the vocal stance of the GOP Senate leader, however, it remains unclear whether the House will follow suit in its support due to some House Republicans viewing Ukraine aid as an unworthy expense. Ninety-three Republicans voted in favor of prohibiting all military assistance to Ukraine in September while 126 Republicans and all Democrats voted against it. Johnson was among the 93.

Nonetheless, enough Senate Republicans appear poised to provide Senate Democrats the votes they need to overcome the 60-vote threshold to advance the package forward. The final funding numbers may not mirror the president's request but will likely address each issue at hand.

"I want funding for Ukraine. I want funding for Israel. I think if we put them together, we probably have a better opportunity," Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told Newsweek. Tillis, a member of GOP leadership, was a fixture in nearly every bipartisan deal in the prior Congress. His support has often served as a bellwether for bipartisan legislation.

"That, to me, appears to be the safest way to get it all done," he added. "If you start looking at how we're going to get votes together to support Ukraine and to Israel, you don't do those as individual packages."

Israel came under attack on October 7 after the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hamas launched a series of coordinated attacks that killed over 1,200 Israelis and saw around 200 individuals kidnapped and held hostage.

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion on Ukrainian soil with the expressed purpose of taking over the country as part of his alleged effort to erase the Ukrainian identity and bring Russia closer to its Soviet Union-era geographical dominance.

McConnell on Sunday referred to Russia, Iran and China as an "axis of evil" when describing the growing threat that the autocratic nations pose to America and its democratic allies. Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who as chair of the Armed Services Committee serves as one of the aid package lead negotiators, expressed confidence that one will pass.

"I think part of it is because Leader McConnell is very outspoken on the need to aid both Ukraine and Israel," Reed told Newsweek. "His leadership has an impact on Republicans. It's the right thing to do."

Most Americans appear to agree with Reed's assessment. An October 24 poll by USA Today and Suffolk University found that 58 percent of Americans support providing aid to Israel in its fight against Hamas, and 51 percent back aiding Ukraine in its war against Russia.

It's not just that sentiment that offers McConnell fuel to forge ahead on a single aid package despite opposition from House Republicans. Some of his most vocal Senate colleagues also support his stance, including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who told Newsweek it'd be "devastating" to U.S. national security to not support each cause at once, saying "time is of the essence."

While Graham and McConnell may be able to exert influence over their Senate GOP colleagues, neither ultimately has the power to ensure a package makes its way to the House floor for a vote. Johnson holds that power, and right now it's unclear how he would choose to respond to a comprehensive aid package.

Additionally, despite the vocal GOP support in the upper chamber, at least 11 Senate Republicans appear to share the views of their House colleagues on providing continued aid for Ukraine.

In May 2022, Senators Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, John Boozman of Arkansas, Mike Braun of Indiana, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Mike Lee of Utah, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming all voted against a Ukraine aid package.

Lummis urged Republicans to come together and "develop a version of the bill that we can support," which could then be negotiated with Democrats. She views the president's proposal as a "wish list" and wants to see her party move carefully to ensure a proposal does not alienate fiscal conservatives.

"I'm not saying it's our way or the highway as Republicans, but they can't say that either," Lummis told Newsweek. "There certainly are people that would like to sever [Ukraine and Israel aid]. I'm one of them who would like to separate them, but I don't think there's a clear direction that it's got to be that way, or we can't get there."