Sources from the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in the United States said there are many issues that need to be resolved regarding Ukraine’s package for Ukraine – including drafting the legislative language – and the whole process will take weeks until final votes in both houses .
The probable goal at this point is to pass this package before the holiday for Remembrance Day. But there are additional complications that need to be addressed – namely, what to do with the suspended help for Covid-19.
A senior member of the Democratic Chamber said US President Joe Biden’s additional request still has a long way to go before both houses: “There will be bicameral, bipartisan negotiations on the additional request. A language must also be prepared. It has also not been decided which chamber will work first. This will not be an immediate process. “
As a sign of potential obstacles, many Republicans are already signaling that they need more information on Biden’s additional proposal before they can commit to voting for him in the Senate.
Republicans are still running in the by-elections for Ukraine, but Senator Jim Rich, a leading Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, said he has concerns about a provision in the package that allows the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to spend about $ 20 billion. It’s not new money. This money has been misappropriated before, but has not been allowed. This is an issue that Republicans and Democrats have been battling for months, and Republicans say Biden has slipped into that package.
It’s still early, and Rish said many Republicans are still willing to support the package, but he warned that Republicans want to take a few days to think more carefully about what’s included.
“I have to go through the details,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida. “I do not focus so much on the amount. Is it more about what you intend to provide them? Is this what they need right now for the foreseeable future? ”
Another emerging divide is that Republicans believe the high cost of humanitarian aid is potentially misdirected. Senator Steve Danes, a Montana Republican traveling to Ukraine during the holidays, told reporters he believed the best place to spend the money was military aid.
“The war crimes that are being committed while we are talking will not end until Ukraine wins this war. So while humanitarian aid is very important, the most important thing Ukrainians want is deadly aid to defeat the Russians. “I’m not convinced the White House understands that,” Danes said.
“I want to know what we are investing in. I want to be sure between deadly and humanitarian aid, it’s actually where it needs to go. The devil is in the details, “Ernst said.
Senator Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, said he was pleased with the price of the package.
“We need to send a strong signal that we intend for Ukraine to win this war against Vladimir Putin’s illegal war crimes,” Wicker said.
While members on both sides acknowledge that there is an urgent need to pass this legislation quickly, the mechanisms for how it passes through the House of Representatives and Senate are still changing a lot, with some Democrats still insisting that money should be packed into one package of Covid-19 money this was withheld because of Biden’s immigration policy on Title 42.
“This must be done,” said Sen. Patti Murray, a Democrat in Washington.
Republicans, including whip John Tun, have already said adding Covid-19 funding to the bill is not the beginning.
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