Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced that a vote on the national security supplemental bill, which encompasses a bipartisan agreement on border and immigration restrictions, will take place next week.
The text of the deal is expected to be made public between Friday and Sunday, with the vote scheduled for no later than Wednesday. Republicans had insisted on tying changes to border policies to the supplemental bill as a condition for providing further aid to Ukraine.
The comprehensive package includes support for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, along with funding for border security and the implementation of new policies, such as mandatory border shutdown authority and asylum reforms.
Border Security-Ukraine Aid Deal (Credits: The Washington Post)
Schumer emphasized that the timeline for releasing the text would allow ample time for members to review the bill before voting. Negotiations, especially regarding border policy changes, had caused delays in finalizing the text.
Key negotiators were awaiting the Senate Appropriations Committee’s evaluation of the costs associated with the proposed policy changes. The importance of providing adequate time for members to review and discuss the bill text has been stressed by many involved in the negotiations.
Sen. James Lankford, the lead Republican negotiator, mentioned that requests for both three days and three weeks to review the text had been made, indicating uncertainty about the necessary time for thorough consideration.
While the typical 72-hour review period has been discussed, the exact duration remains unclear. Whether amendments will be permitted on the package is yet to be decided, and there is uncertainty about whether House Speaker Mike Johnson will bring the supplemental bill to a vote on the House floor if it passes the Senate.
Senator Kyrsten Sinema urged her colleagues to read the text before forming opinions about its content, expressing confidence that the bill would be successfully passed.
The upcoming vote on the national security supplemental bill underscores the ongoing negotiations and debates surrounding critical issues such as border and immigration policies, as well as financial support for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.
