Blockage continues in Congress on envelopes for Ukraine and Israel

2024-02-08 01:43:08

Between internal Republican quarrels and standoff with President Joe Biden, the American Congress was paralyzed again on Wednesday, unable to validate any envelope for Ukraine or Israel. In the afternoon, senators rejected a text that would have released new funds for these two countries at war and reformed the United States’ migration system. This, despite months of tough negotiations.

Under pressure from Donald Trump, who still maintains enormous control over his troops in Congress, most Republicans ultimately voted against it — even those who initially supported it. The Senate was to try its luck again immediately on a text cut from the migration reform, but the session was finally adjourned. “To give Republicans the night to make up their minds,” said Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

NATO pressure

The United States, the main military supporter of Ukraine with more than 110 billion already released by Congress, has been struggling for months to send new funds to kyiv.
The Democratic general staff, in charge in the Senate, is exploring a series of scenarios to validate this aid at all costs.

But the risk remains the same each time: that these initiatives come up against a wall of Trumpist parliamentarians, the majority in the House of Representatives, who refuse to release the slightest additional cent for kyiv, despite Joe Biden’s repeated pleas.

However, to be promulgated, this aid must at all costs be adopted by both houses of the American Congress. The failure to adopt new funds would be a huge disappointment for Ukraine, whose counter-offensive in the summer largely failed. It would also be a significant setback for Joe Biden in the face of his European partners, who approved on February 1 an additional 50 billion euros for kyiv.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called it “essential” that Congress continue to support Ukraine, saying that “a Russian victory would weaken us and embolden not only Moscow, but also China, Iran and South Korea.” North “.

Mayhem among the Trumpists

The United States is not much further along in validating funds for Israel, a historic ally at war against Palestinian Hamas since October 7. Because President Biden demands that any aid for Israel be coupled with an envelope for Ukraine. Republicans in the House refuse, but were unable to pass their own bill Tuesday to force his hand.

Already shaken by the dismissal of one of its leaders a few months ago, the conservatives at the head of the institution suffered another setback in the evening by failing to indict Joe Biden’s minister responsible for immigration. They accuse Alejandro Mayorkas of having created a crisis on the border with Mexico and for this reason wanted to impose a sanction not seen in almost 150 years. The revolt already threatens Speaker Mike Johnson, in office for three months.

The Republican general staff, who thought they had a sufficient number of votes to win this vote, were taken by surprise by the surprise arrival in the chamber of a Democratic elected official, Al Green, who was still recovering from illness. an abdominal operation. The elected official from Arizona arrived in a wheelchair in the middle of the vote, barefoot and in hospital clothes, ultimately tipping the scales in favor of the Democrats.

While the paralysis only gets worse, elected officials will face a moment of truth in a month, with the vote on the budget to avoid a “shutdown” of the federal state.