How $6 billion in Ukraine aid collapsed in a government funding bill despite big support in Congress

By Lisa Mascaro, Associated PressUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, walks with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., right, at Capitol Hill on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington.

But in the end, neither McConnell nor the White House nor Democrats in Congress could muscle a scaled-back $6 billion military and civilian aid package for Ukraine to passage in last week’s deal to avoid a U.S. government shutdown. As Washington regroups, the sudden shift has unleashed political blame over the inability of the White House and Congress to work around the small but intensifying minority of lawmakers who are putting aid in jeopardy.

But after the White House announced Biden’s $24 billion request for Ukraine aid in August, McConnell knew it would not have the support needed to pass, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. Instead, McConnell encouraged the White House to look “strongly” at whether it could rely on sending Ukraine aid through existing ways for transferring or reprogramming money in the short term, the person said.

It was a stark example of how a growing flank of the party — some 100 Republicans — was wresting control from the majority who widely supported the bill.Staring down a potentially devastating government shutdown, the embattled McCarthy then stripped the $6 billion Ukraine aid from the federal funding package before the House vote to keep the U.S. government open.

Thune told the Republican senators he thought they should move forward with the House version, without the Ukraine money, as the best way to avoid a shutdown, according to Republican familiar with the private meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.

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