WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders introduced a nearly $40 billion supplemental package of military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon just hours before an expected floor vote.
The movement came after Senate Republicans earlier in the day said there were some lingering disagreements over text that appropriators began circulating in the morning. Negotiators agreed to drop a provision that would allow for the settlement of Afghan refugees that was part of President Joe Biden’s initial $33 billion request, for instance, after pushback from Republicans worried about vetting procedures.
“There’s a number of issues we’ve looked at, and I said I can’t support the Afghan bills unless those are worked out, and some of them would be waivers for those that are affiliated with terrorist organizations or recruited child soldiers, and those are not things we should be waiving,” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said earlier Tuesday. “It’s in the language, and I can’t support with it in the text.”
