The U.S. Senate voted 67-32 on Thursday to move forward with a separate foreign assistance bill worth $95 billion. This paves the way for a final vote on $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and $14 billion in assistance for Israel.

Following extensive discussions, the Senate has met the necessary 60-vote requirement to move forward with a final vote on the aid package, which includes a substantial amount of funding to support Indo-Pacific nations in addressing Chinese aggression.

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer put forth the proposal after a $118 billion bipartisan deal for border security was unsuccessful in the Senate after several months of talks.

According to Schumer, he discussed a backup strategy with the White House following reports that former President Trump had reached out to Republican senators, urging them not to support the bipartisan agreement.

Last week, Schumer informed reporters that Trump’s interference in the situation at the border, where he expressed a desire for political gain and preferred chaos, led them to consider alternative solutions.

The proposed bipartisan deal aimed to boost the capacity for immigration detention and put an end to the policy of allowing migrants to stay in the U.S. while seeking asylum. It also granted presidents the authority to temporarily close the U.S.-Mexico border if there was a surge in crossings. However, conservative Senate Republicans believed that the bill did not go far enough.

Earlier this week, Senator Ted Cruz stated that this bill does not address the issue at hand. He believes that the current border crisis is intentional and was caused by President Joe Biden’s unilateral decisions.

The topic of immigration, which has been a longstanding problem for both Republican and Democratic administrations and has yet to be resolved by Congress, has now been entangled in the 2024 presidential race.

The Senate is anticipated to continue working over the weekend, as legislators include modifications regarding border security in the foreign aid bill.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Biden expressed his intent to hold Trump responsible for the increased number of migrants. According to the current laws, individuals who enter the country without proper documentation and seek asylum are allowed to stay in the US for extended periods of time until their cases can be heard in immigration courts that are facing a backlog.

After the immigration bill was defeated, the Senate will now focus on a bill that aims to offer assistance to Ukraine and Israel without including any provisions related to border immigration.

On Tuesday, Biden encouraged Congress to demonstrate bravery and pass the comprehensive bill that was crafted over several months by a bipartisan group of senators.

Although the Senate approved the bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson, who heads the small Republican majority in the House of Representatives, stated that the legislation would have no chance of passing in the lower chamber. He believed that the restrictions on migration were not stringent enough.

During his speech on Tuesday, Biden stated that it is highly unlikely that this bill will progress to the Senate floor. The main factor behind this is Donald Trump.

He stated, “Donald Trump believes it would have negative consequences for him politically.”

If the bill fails, Biden stated that Americans will be aware that the border is not secure because of Donald Trump.

President Trump had encouraged members of the Republican party to reject the suggested regulations on immigration, deeming them inadequate. He stated that, if reelected in the upcoming November election, he plans to implement stricter measures to prevent migrants from entering the United States. It is expected that he will once again be competing against Joe Biden for the presidency.

Biden emphasized the significance of providing Kyiv with an additional $60 billion in assistance to defend itself against Russia’s ongoing invasion, as the United States has been Ukraine’s primary supporter.

He stated that it would not be wise to turn down the extra assistance, as it would only benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Biden stated that history is observing our actions. If we fail to assist Ukraine, it will be remembered in history forever.”