Majority leader: US Senate to consider Ukraine aid bill after Nov. 23
The U.S. Senate will reconvene after Nov. 23 to consider a joint funding bill that includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) said at a press conference on Nov. 14.
The proposed bill, which would lump aid for Ukraine along with packages for Israel, the Indo-Pacific region, and humanitarian support, had bipartisan support, Schumer claimed.
"It will be a very high priority," Schumer said.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a stopgap funding bill on Nov. 14 in order to prevent the looming government shutdown, but it did not include aid for Ukraine or Israel.
The bill will now go to the Senate, which must pass it before the deadline on Nov. 17, and then to the White House.
However, the bill would only forestall debates about more long-term budget plans, as it proposes to keep the government funded in two staggered segments until Feb. 2 at the latest.
U.S. President Joe Biden previously asked the U.S. Congress to approve a new $106 billion aid package, including more than $61 billion in funding for aid to Ukraine.
When asked why he did not support a standalone proposal from U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (D) for aid for Israel, Schumer said that it was not a "serious" proposal, adding that Biden threatened to veto it if it did not include aid for Ukraine.
Anastasiia Malenko
