Senate Advances Bill to Provide $40 Billion Aid to Ukraine

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Senate advances $40.1 billion Ukraine aid bill
Screenshot from C-SPAN video

The United States Senate advanced a legislation to provide an additional $40.1 billion emergency humanitarian and military assistance package for Ukraine as it continues its war against Russia.

Late afternoon on Monday, lawmakers in the upper chamber voted 81 to 11 to proceed with the final approval of H.R. 7691-Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022.

One of the Republicans who voted against the Ukraine aid bill is Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Last Thursday, the junior senator defied Senate leaders Mitch McConnell (R-kentucky) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York) who were hoping for a swift passage of the legislation.

Sen. Paul opposed a quick vote on H.R. 7691 and demanded to add his amendment into the bill to expand the role of an Afghanistan inspector general to include supervision of the additional assistance for Ukraine.

The junior senator said, “No matter how sympathetic the cause, my oath of office is to the national security of the United States of America. We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the U.S. economy.”