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Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) On Thursday objected to the Senate vote on aid to Ukraine, postponing the bill until next week and reducing pressure from both parties to maintain stable aid to Kyiv.
The senator faced a backlash against his opposition, but said he remained behind. “My oath is to the US Constitution, not to any foreign nation,” Paul tweeted Thursday night, echoing his remarks in the Senate. As he said he sympathized with the Ukrainian people, Paul added that the United States “cannot continue to spend money we do not have” because it is a “threat to our own national security.”
The bill, which will send $ 39.8 billion in economic, humanitarian and defense aid to Ukraine, was passed by the House of Representatives this week with widespread support. President Biden has said he wants to put it on his desk by the end of this week as Washington tries to prevent funding cuts to Ukraine as Kyiv forces clash with Russian troops in the east and south. In a letter to lawmakers this month urging Congress to approve the aid package, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the remaining approved aid funds would expire on May 19.
Paul himself managed to block the progress of the package because the Senate demanded unanimous consent to quickly move such a bill to a final vote. Now the hall must skip all the usual procedural hoops.
The house approves nearly $ 40 billion in aid to Ukraine as it fights Russian aggression
Paul called for the appointment of an inspector general to oversee funding, but rejected a proposal by Senate leaders to hold a vote to amend his provision. Changing the bill would force him back into the House.
In response, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (DN.Y.) said Paul’s position contradicted the “overwhelming majority” of MPs in the House. “Again, all he will achieve with his actions here today is to postpone this aid, not to stop it,” Sumer added. “This is the help that valiant people desperately need, fighting against authoritarianism and defending democracy.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a briefing Thursday that the bill already includes funding for existing inspectors general, as well as other oversight measures. She also reiterated Biden’s call for the aid package to be passed through the legislative process.
Pavel’s opposition provoked disapproval at home and abroad. Alexander Sherba, Ukraine’s former ambassador to Austria, said on Twitter that Paul’s move was a failure to defend Ukraine’s freedom. The Democratic candidate who wants to overthrow Paul in this year’s election, Charles Booker, also condemned his obstruction. Paul’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Last month, Paul said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that US support for Ukraine’s accession to NATO had contributed to Russia’s decision to invade. The comment was perceived as an echo of Russian-speaking points, leading to a clash with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and provoking criticism from Russian observers.
Cheng reported from Seoul.
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