The 118th Congress did what it does best: nothing. He waited until the last minute to avoid yet another government shutdown, and instead of passing a funding bill, he kicked the can down the road again and left town for another 10-day vacation. The next brinkmanship will take place in March.
Their failure to act was a gift to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Hamas, and a warning to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel that America can be an unreliable ally.
It would be easy to blame this on a dislike of bipartisanship in this dysfunctional Congress, but the reality is that this is the result of a fight within the Republican Party that Democrats are watching from the sidelines.
The $105 billion security assistance package for allies at war, countries facing threats of invasion, and innocent victims is linked to the crisis at the U.S. southern border and the presidential election.House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said he won't bring the aid bill to the floor unless the Senate passes the House's tougher immigration bill, which faces unanimous opposition from Democrats and the White House. are doing. He is undeterred by warnings that Ukraine needs urgent assistance, as some supplies are reportedly in short supply and the country is reportedly facing Russia's Spring Offensive.
There are more complex issues here than immigration bills. Senators have finalized a bipartisan border deal, but Johnson and his military have orders to block it. Apparently, the crisis isn't as big or as urgent as they've been shouting about for months. They are even threatening to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a Jewish immigrant from Cuba, for not doing enough to protect the border while refusing to act.
Former President Donald Trump issued orders to the military. Even if Trump wins and the Senate Republican leadership, including Trump supporters like Lindsey Graham, says, “We can't get a better deal,” Mar-a-Lago's words won't cut it. It's about defeating them. You can wait until next year. Republicans apparently want to solve problems more than solutions.
President Trump said on Twitter: “I absolutely do not believe there should be a border agreement unless we accept everything in the House bill.” Johnson said he speaks with Trump “quite often” for guidance and told President Joe Biden there would be no aid for Ukraine and Israel until he accepted the House's terms on the border. It is said.
“My answer is no. Absolutely not. This is the hill I will die on,” Johnson wrote in a fundraising letter to supporters.
He has another motive. The party's far-right Freedom Caucus and MAGA extremists are threatening to fire him, just as they removed his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, who committed the cardinal sin of bipartisan cooperation.
Immigration reform is linked to aid to Ukraine, but MAGA Republicans and President Trump oppose it.Who benefits from all this?
Who benefits from blocking critical defense aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan? The answer lies in domestic politics, not America's national interests in a dangerous world.
The bill includes $14.3 billion for Israel and $10 billion in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza, making Hamas an unintended beneficiary of House Republicans' hardline stance.
Blocking $7.4 billion to Taiwan is intended to help thwart Beijing's desire to seize the island, leaving Xi with the impression that the United States is a fickle ally. China benefits from this.
U.S.-Mexico border security would also not benefit, as House Republicans have set aside $13.6 billion for border security.
But so far, Russia has gained the most from blocking $61.4 billion in spending to defend Ukraine. By the way, most of that money goes to American defense contractors, often used to replace or upgrade American inventory sent to Kiev.
The other winner, at least in his own mind, is Trump. Because he will deny Biden's victory, benefit some of the autocrats and autocrats he most admires, and serve up a dish of cold revenge.
This is revenge against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for his role in President Trump's first impeachment. The Ukrainian leader has failed to return the stain on the Biden family that the US president demanded in a “perfect phone call” in exchange for military aid approved by Congress.
Trump has boasted that if he were president, Russia would not have invaded nearly two years ago, and that if elected, he would be able to quickly end the war. Of course, that would be in Putin's interest.
Putin has made no secret that Trump's victory in November will bring him “happiness.” He said the criminal charges against the former president amounted to “politically motivated persecution.” He particularly appreciates the isolationist approach of President Trump's “America First” message and salivates at the thought of him carrying out his threat to withdraw from NATO.
After seeing Biden's vigorous defense of Ukraine, Putin's spokesman Dmitri Peskov said the country wanted a president who was more friendly to Russia.
President Putin aims to restore the Russian/Soviet Empire. He has already occupied parts of Georgia, Moldova and Crimea, and now wants the rest of Ukraine. Perhaps Poland will be his next target as he seeks to create a new Russian empire.
Most of these countries are NATO members, highly nervous about the 2024 US elections, and Putin is obsessed with presidential candidates who have threatened to destroy the Western alliance. I was in the Baltic States and there was a sign that said, “Visit Estonia before Putin acts.''
Many Republicans support aid to Ukraine but don't have the courage to speak out, fearing that President Trump will use vitriol or target them as a major adversary.
Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, took to MSNBC's “Morning Joe” to slam former members of Congress for “giving President Putin what he wanted.”
“Donald Trump wants to help Vladimir Putin and always has,” Scarborough said, reminding viewers that Trump had called Putin's invasion of Ukraine “amazing.” . Scarborough said the top Republican candidates in 2024 are either “Russian stooges or useful idiots.”
“He wants to hand over Ukraine to Russia,” said Nikki Haley, Trump's final challenger for the nomination and a former ambassador to the United Nations. The Washington Post reported that the “most persistent point of tension” between her and President Trump was their “deep admiration” for President Putin.
After their meeting in Helsinki, the president was furious with her for contradicting him, saying he believed Putin's denials of election interference more than those of U.S. intelligence leaders. She countered, “The truth is that the Russians interfered in our election.” An anonymous government official said Trump was “angry because he didn't like President Putin's criticism.” He really thought Putin was his friend. ”
No wonder President Putin supports President Trump.The author is a Washington-based journalist, consultant, lobbyist, and former Legislative Member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.