US Senate Republicans block bill that includes funding for Ukraine, Israel

Washington, US | Xinhua |  Republicans of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked a procedural vote on a bill that included funding for Ukraine and Israel amid their respective conflicts, citing a lack of policy changes in the measures to improve security on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Bernie Sanders, an independent senator from the state of Vermont, joined all of the chamber’s 49 Republicans in casting the “no” vote, blocking the 111 billion-dollar package from advancing in the chamber.

A threshold of 60 votes in favor is needed for the bill to pass. The final tally was 51-49, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, flipping his vote from “yes” to “no” so that he would be able to reintroduce the bill in the future.

The bill includes 61.4 billion dollars in military and economic aid for Ukraine, 14.3 billion dollars in assistance for Israel, as well as spending on other international hotspots. ■