WHILE THE HOUSE SPENT MORE THAN THREE  WEEKS WITHOUT A SPEAKER –

THE SEARCH FOR LEADERSHIP CONSUMED CONGRESS.

BUT WHAT HAS THE OTHER CHAMBER BEEN DOING IN THE MEANTIME?

THE SENATE – IS ALSO SEEING REPUBLICANS AT ODDS.

SENATORS ARE REVIEWING THE REQUEST FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN TO PASS A 106 BILLION DOLLAR NATIONAL SECURITY PACKAGE, WHICH INCLUDES

61 BILLION DOLLARS FOR UKRAINE.

14 BILLION FOR ISRAEL.

10 BILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN AID SPLIT AMONG GAZA, ISRAEL, AND UKRAINE.

14 BILLION DOLLARS WOULD BE SPENT ON SECURITY ON THE U.S. MEXICO BORDER.

THE ROUGHLY 7 BILLION LEFT WOULD GO TOWARD U.S. SUBMARINES, AND FOREIGN FINANCING.

IT’S A LARGE PACKAGE –

AND ONE THAT HAS GAINED SOME BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

BUT IN ORDER FOR IT TO CLEAR THE SENATE FILIBUSTER AND PASS –

IT WOULD NEED THE SUPPORT OF ALL DEMOCRATS – AND **NINE REPUBLICANS.

SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL WAS INTERVIEWED ON FOX NEWS SUNDAY AND SAYS THE ADDITION OF BORDER SUPPORT COULD SWAY SOME REPUBLICANS –

BUT THEY’LL BE GOING OVER THE AID PACKAGE WITH A FINE-TOOTH COMB.

{106 BILLION MCCONNELL SOT}

“Most of my members believe we need something credible on the border as well. I mean, if we’re going to accept the financial responsibility of helping our allies, we want to do something to help ourselves. So we’ll give this supplemental request a serious look and probably recommend some changes as well.”

BUT SOME REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE SAY THIS PACKAGE SHOULDN’T BE A CATCH-ALL DEAL.

SIGNALING THEY’D RATHER SCRAP IT –

AND BRING FORTH EACH INDIVIDUAL ASK.

SENATOR JD VANCE OF OHIO WAS ASKED ABOUT THE 106 BILLION DOLLARS ON FOX’S HANNITY SHOW. 

{106 BILLION VANCE SOT}

“Whatever your view, Sean, is on ukraine, it is a separate country and a separate problem. I think what the president did was completely disgraceful. If he wants to sell the american people on 60 billion more to ukraine, he shouldn’t use dead israeli children to do it. It was disgusting.”

ANOTHER HANG UP FOR SOME REPUBLICANS –

IS THE 10 BILLION DOLLARS INCLUDED FOR HUMANITARIAN AID –

SPLIT AMONG ISRAEL, UKRAINE, AND GAZA.

IT’S SENDING MONEY TO GAZA THEY STRUGGLE WITH –

CONCERNED THE MONEY COULD END UP IN THE WRONG HANDS GIVEN HAMAS CONTROLS GAZA.

THEY USE THE SAME ARGUMENT USED AGAINST THE 6 BILLION DOLLARS IN IRANIAN ASSETS THE U.S. UNFROZE AS PART OF A PRISONER SWAP WITH IRAN –

THAT MONEY – IS FUNGIBLE.

SUPPORTERS OF THE AID PACKAGE SAY THERE ARE REASONABLE THREATS POSED BY RUSSIA, IRAN, AND CHINA –

WHICH IS WHY U.S. SUPPORT – AND FUNDING – IS NEEDED IN UKRAINE, ISRAEL, AND TAIWAN.

SENATORS ARE GETTING A HEAD START DEBATING THE PACKAGE.

THE HOUSE WILL ALSO HAVE TO VOTE ON IT FOR ANY VERSION OF THE AID PACKAGE TO PASS.