Senate fails to pass $118 billion national security supplemental

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted not to advance a bill that would have provided more aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel while also increasing funding to help secure the United States’ southern border. Many Senate Republicans and some Democrats had previously signaled opposition to the legislation. As of Wednesday evening, the Senate was also scheduled to vote on whether to debate a bill that would solely provide more aid to Ukraine and Israel without increasing funding for the border.

How did legislators react? Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday insisted that “history will cast a permanent and shameful shadow” on those who opposed the bills. The House has already signaled stiff opposition to the national security supplemental, with Republican leadership on Monday calling it “DEAD on arrival.” On Tuesday night, the House failed to pass a roughly $17.6 billion package that would have provided aid solely to Israel.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard’s conversation with Carolina Lumetta on The World and Everything in It podcast about Republicans’ response to the National Security Supplemental.