US Senate may consider aid to Ukraine separately from "southern border issue"

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is apparently planning to remove the border security deal agreed by both parties from the bill on additional funding for national security and put all other issues, including aid to Ukraine, to the vote on Wednesday.

The Hill reported that Schumer plans to remove the border issue from the national security supplemental funding bill and put only aid for Ukraine, Israel, the Pacific region, and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and civilians in Gaza to the vote on 7 February. 

An aide to a Democratic senator shared the insight that Schumer has informed his fellow party members of this plan and intends to launch it after the attempt to vote on the comprehensive bill fails. 

Senators expect the bill to be approved in this form. This will require 60 votes.

Schumer still plans to hold a procedural vote on the package which combines aid to Ukraine, Israel and border security measures, so that some Democrats can vote for it and be able to claim when campaigning that they tried to respond to the Mexican border crisis. 

However, the Republicans are expected to block the bill, and Schumer will then go for Plan B, using a procedure that allows him to immediately put the remaining issues to the vote a second time. 

It was reported earlier that the US Senate is unlikely to have enough Republican votes for a procedural vote on the bill to tighten migration policy, which also provides additional funding for Ukraine.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said that the package of laws on immigration and international aid, including Ukraine, will not pass because of the opposition of House Speaker Mike Johnson.

President Joe Biden said that his predecessor, Donald Trump, was trying to derail the bill in the Senate.