OPINION: Senate Passes Aid Package, but House Still Poses Major Hurdle

After four long months, the United States Senate finally passed a new foreign supplemental aid package. The legislation, which includes $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel, and $4.83 billion in support of other partners, including Taiwan, had strong bipartisan support. The Senate voted 70-29 to pass the bill.

This is a significant milestone for the Senate. In November 2023, the supplemental aid package was introduced to Republican and Democratic members of the Senate. Initially, many Republican members stated that the foreign aid package needed to be tied to border security. As a result, Republican and Democratic members debated what should and should not be included in the bill. Multiple revisions were made, and the legislation was in advanced talks. Some members of the Senate, however, determined that they would be unable to reach a deal during the holiday period, and the bill was stalled in December and early January.

Several weeks later, a final version of the joint border security reform and supplemental aid was produced. But after nearly three months of deliberations, several Senate members decided the bill would not pass. They disagreed with the new revisions in the bill, and after holding a preliminary vote on the border security reforms, the deal was blocked. The Senate then returned to the initial plan of introducing a new supplemental aid package for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. This time, negotiations advanced, and the bill had strong bipartisan support.

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While some members of the Senate continued to oppose the deal, the legislation was ultimately passed, suggesting that, despite their differences, Republican, Democratic, and Independent members of the Senate worked together to pass the bill.

But the fight is not over yet. While the supplemental aid package was passed by the Senate, it still needs to be reviewed by the House of Representatives. The legislation will only become law if the House votes on it and it passes. Otherwise, if the bill is not passed, then aid will not be sent to these foreign countries.

Another hurdle remains. Speaker of the House Mike Jonson has previously stated that he will not succumb to pressure from the Senate. He has also rejected a proposal to vote on the aid. But his rejection of the legislation does not mean a vote will not be held. There are other ways of attempting to pass the legislation.

Known as a discharge petition, members of the House can file a motion to vote on a bill that has not been introduced by the Speaker of the House. For a discharge to be successful, 218 House members must vote in favor of introducing the legislation in question. If the vote passes by at least 218 members, then the bill can be introduced to House members for a vote.

According to the House of Representatives website, as of Feb. 13, 2024, there are 219 Republican members and 212 Democratic members. Assuming all 212 Democratic members would support the bill, House Democrats would need at least six Republican House members to support the discharge petition.

A discharge petition is also not out of the question. According to The Hill, some Republican House members have stated that they support aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. Others have even said on record that they have spoken to lawmakers about using a discharge petition. Should this movement continue to grow, then it is possible such a motion could be introduced.

But it is unclear if this process will succeed. A discharge petition is also very uncommon. The last time it was used was in 2015, when policymakers discussed “legislation surrounding the import/export bank.” Signatures on a discharge petition are also public, which may make some House members vulnerable.

Mark Temnycky is an accredited freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. He can be found on X @MTemnycky