The Senate voted Friday evening to push a $95.3 billion package funding Ukraine, Israel and other national security priorities closer to passing the upper chamber, even though many Republican senators are upset the legislation doesn't include provisions to stop the flood of migrants across the southern border, The Hill reported.
Senators voted after negotiating throughout the day over amendments to the legislation, which initially included a bipartisan border security deal to reform the nation’s asylum laws and give President Biden greater authority to expel migrants.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stripped the border security provisions from the bill after all but four Republican senators voted to block it with the immigration and border reforms included.
The Senate voted 64-19 on Friday evening to proceed to the bill. Fourteen Republicans joined Democrats and two independents to formally begin debate on the legislation.
It would provide $60 billion to Ukraine, $14 billion in security assistance to Israel, $9 billion for humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine, and $4.8 billion to support allies in the Indo-Pacific.
Schumer said Friday's vote "keeps the process of passing the emergency national security package moving forward on the Senate floor".