The Senate passes a foreign aid bill to support Ukraine, Israel and Gaza
The Senate passed a bipartisan foreign aid bill that includes funding for Israel, Gaza and Ukraine but no security provisions for the U.S. southern border.
WASHINGTON – House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, on Friday described a game plan to protect the United States' foreign alliances if former President Donald Trump wins in November.
“We're going back to our old playbook from the previous administration … bring in people like me or (South Carolina GOP Sen.) Lindsey Graham,” he told reporters during a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, adding that it What's important is to have your own ear to make sure he doesn't go rogue.
Last weekend, Trump spooked international allies when he said at a campaign rally that he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell it wants” if allies in the North American Treaty Organization didn't pay enough for collective defense capabilities. This sparked immediate backlash Opposition sparked opposition from foreign leaders, members of Congress from both parties and President Joe Biden, who said the remarks were “un-American” and “dangerous,” although many Republicans defended the spending concerns and Trump advisers argued they were not I'm really serious.
McCaul is a defense hawk who regularly advocates for America's continued engagement on the world stage, in contrast to the increasingly isolationist wing of his party, often embodied by Trump.
But he argued that the former president's shooting-from-the-hip style wasn't necessarily a bad thing: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it was a “valid point” that more countries need to pay into the defense fund, and more of it will expects more than half of member countries to achieve this goal this year.
“With Trump, there’s a fear factor and an unpredictability factor,” McCaul said. “You don’t know what he’s going to do.”
Donald Trump is lobbying Congress for aid to Ukraine
The United States' involvement in international affairs is under scrutiny as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to wage war in Ukraine and Congress considers sending additional aid to the country.
The likely Republican presidential nominee wields enormous influence over the Republican Party in the debate and is actively involved in influencing policy.
Trump has publicly opposed additional funding for Ukraine and recently suggested that aid should only be approved as a loan rather than a direct cash payment – even though much of the funding earmarked for Ukraine in the foreign aid package actually goes to U.S. government contractors and should not be sent abroad.
The aftereffects are clear: A large part of the Republican party conference is also against additional aid for Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson said his chamber would not vote on the relief package passed by the Senate without border provisions. Democrats and a number of moderate lawmakers are exploring possible workarounds to speed up the aid that Ukraine says it needs urgently and quickly.
McCaul – a vocal supporter of additional aid to Ukraine – said he discussed changes to the package with Johnson, including adding a provision that would seize Russian assets frozen in Western banks and converting the aid into a loan, like Trump had suggested.
Whether that's enough to sway Trump, McCaul said, “depends on who's in his ear?”