WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D- NY) sent a letter to colleagues outlining the tasks that must be completed before lawmakers leave Washington for the holidays.
Schumer is looking to set the stage and deliver aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific in the coming weeks. Some Republicans are still opposed to combining Israel aid with Ukraine, and others want to see serious border enhancements included if more aid goes to Ukraine.
In the letter, Schumer says national security supplemental funding, military promotions and the national defense authorization act (NDAA), which determines funding levels for the military, are among the top priorities between now and the holidays.
Schumer plans to bring President Biden’s national security supplemental funding request to the Senate floor as early as next week. That would include aid for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region and humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians.
In response to the GOP push for comprehensive border improvements before more aid is sent to Ukraine, Schumer said the “purely partisan hard-right demands” could jeopardize the entire national security package.
Senators are expected to be updated on the latest in Ukraine with a classified briefing in the coming days.
Schumer is telling senators to be ready for long nights, and possibly even weekends in Washington until the work is finished.
“The decisions we will have to make in the coming weeks on the aid package could determine the trajectory of democracy and the resilience of the transatlantic alliance for a generation,” said Schumer in the letter posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
