Schumer Appears To Abandon Vote On Ukraine Aid Package

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has appeared to abandoned a planned procedural vote in the Senate tomorrow on President Biden's USD$106 billion national security supplemental package, which includes ~USD$60 billion for Ukraine.

• Schumer said on X: "The Senate’s national security package is on hold because the GOP has resorted to hostage-taking by injecting hard-right immigration proposals into the debate. History will render harsh judgment on those who abandoned democracy for Donald Trump’s extreme immigration policies."
• State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters moments ago: "We are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to our ability to provide security assistance to Ukraine," noting that Ukraine is preparing for "very difficult winter."
• Postponement of the vote, which was expected to be blocked by Republicans for failing to include a package of US-Mexico border reforms, will avoid sending a signal to Ukraine's backers that US assistance is uncertain.
• It will also allow more time for a bipartisan group of Senate negotiators to resume lapsed talks on a border package. Reports from Congress suggests that there is sufficient appetite in the Senate to reach a compromise but the test will come when the package is put before the far more Ukraine-sceptic House of Representatives.