Senate Dems block bipartisan Israel aid package citing lack of Ukraine funding

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats blocked an aid package to Israel because it wasn’t linked to Ukraine funding.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R- KS), who sponsored the legislation, was seeking unanimous consent for the House's version of the package, which passed with bipartisan support earlier this month. According to Fox News, the bill would earmark $14.3 billion reallocated from funds originally slated for the IRS in President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Republican Senators Ted Cruz, JD Vance, and Mike Lee introduced the Senate version in October.

Democrats torpedoed the bill because it didn’t include aid to Ukraine.

Marshall said in a press conference on Tuesday, "Though they spend three-fourths of the time telling us why we should fund Ukraine, no one will stand up and say we should not fund Israel now. No one has an argument for that. They seem to be allergic to the word ‘Israel.’ Bring the Ukraine funding to the floor. Let's vote on that."

Republicans remain divided on continued support for Ukraine’s war against Russia. Marshall called the Ukraine conflict "a separate, unrelated conflict with no end in sight," while speaking on the floor of the chamber.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, objected to Marshall's motion saying, "The global challenges we face are all connected, and they're all urgent."  

Earlier this month, the aid package was sunk by 8 Democrats after passing in the House. Again, Democrats cited a lack of Ukraine aid and demanded funds to combat China's influence in the Indo-Pacific.