Page 9 - Us Senate

Senate passes $95.3 bn package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and Indo-Pacific

The Senate has passed USD 95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars. The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming 79-18 vote late on Tuesday after the House had approved the package on Saturday. Biden, who worked with congressional leaders to win support, said in a statement immediately after passage that he will sign it on Wednesday and start the process of sending weapons to Ukraine, which has been struggling to hold its front lines against Russia. "Tonight, a bipartisan majority in the Senate joined the House to answer history's call at this critical inflection point," Biden said. The legislation would also send USD 26 billion in wartime assistance to Israel and humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza, and USD 8 billion to counter Chinese threats in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. US officials said about USD 1 billion

Aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan advances in Senate for final approval

The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to move ahead with USD 95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, bringing the bill to the brink of passage after months of delays and contentious internal debate over how involved the United States should be abroad. The vote to end a filibuster drew the support of 80 senators -- 10 more than supported the bill when the Senate first passed it in February -- virtually guaranteeing that the bill will soon reach President Joe Biden's desk. A final vote could come as soon as Tuesday evening. The USD 61 billion for Ukraine comes as the war-torn country desperately needs new firepower and as Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up his attacks. Ukrainian soldiers have struggled to hold the front lines as Russia has seized the momentum on the battlefield and gained significant territory. Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday the US will send badly needed air defence weaponry as soon as the legislation is ...

Aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan heads to Senate for final approval

The Senate is returning to Washington on Tuesday to vote on USD 95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, taking the final steps in Congress to send the legislation to President Joe Biden's desk after months of delays and contentious internal debate over how involved the United States should be abroad. The USD 61 billion for Ukraine comes as the war-torn country desperately needs new firepower and as Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up his attacks. Soldiers have struggled to hold the front lines as Russia has seized the momentum on the battlefield and forced Ukraine to cede significant territory. Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday the US will soon send badly needed air defence weaponry. The House approved the package Saturday in a series of four votes, sending it back to the Senate for final approval. The President has assured me that the package will be approved quickly and that it will be powerful, strengthening our air defense as .

TikTok braces for US divest-or-ban law as it gears up for fresh legal fight

That action would be an unprecedented move by Congress to use legislation to threaten the ban of a large consumer technology platform

Arizona's Democrats to bring proposed repeal of abortion ban to a vote

Democrats in the Arizona Senate cleared a path to bring a proposed repeal of the state's near-total ban on abortions to a vote after the state's highest court concluded the law can be enforced and the state House blocked efforts to undo the long-dormant statute. Although no vote was taken on the repeal itself, Republican Sens. T.J. Shope and Shawnna Bolick sided with 14 Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday in changing rules to let a repeal proposal advance after the deadline for hearing bills had passed. Proponents say the Senate could vote on the repeal as early as May 1. If the proposed repeal wins final approval from the Republican-controlled Legislature and is signed into law by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, the 2022 statute banning the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy would become the prevailing abortion law. The move by the Senate came after Republicans in the Arizona House, for the second time in a week, blocked attempts on Wednesday to bring a repeal bill to a vote. One

Bob Graham, two-term former US senator and Florida governor, dies at 87

Former US Sen. and two-term Florida Gov. Bob Graham, who gained national prominence as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks and as an early critic of the Iraq war, has died. He was 87. Graham's family announced the death on Tuesday in a statement posted on X by his daughter Gwen Graham. We are deeply saddened to report the passing of a visionary leader, dedicated public servant, and even more importantly, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, the family said. Graham, who served three terms in the Senate, made an unsuccessful bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasising his opposition to the Iraq invasion. But his bid was delayed by heart surgery in January 2003, and he was never able to gain enough traction with voters to catch up, bowing out that October. He didn't seek reelection in 2004 and was replaced by Republican Mel Martinez. Graham was a man of many quirks. He perfected the

Colorado clears semiautomatic firearm ban; Bill sent to Senate for approval

Colorado's Democratic-controlled House on Sunday passed a bill that would ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic firearms, a major step for the legislation after roughly the same bill was swiftly killed by Democrats last year. The bill, which passed on a 35-27 vote, is now on its way to the Democratic-led state Senate. If it passes there, it could bring Colorado in line with 10 other states including California, New York and Illinois that have prohibitions on semiautomatic guns. But even in a state plagued by some of the nation's worst mass shootings, such legislation faces headwinds. Colorado's political history is purple, shifting blue only recently. The bill's chances of success in the state Senate are lower than they were in the House, where Democrats have a 46-19 majority and a bigger far-left flank. Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has indicated his wariness over such a ban. Last year, a similar bill died in committee, with some Democratic lawmakers citing concerns ov

US Senate committee to hold hearing today on Boeing safety culture report

The panel's report was directed by Congress after fatal 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019 that killed 346 people, including panel member De Luis' sister in the Ethiopian crash

Prez Biden signs $1.2 trn package after Senate''s early-morning approval

President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills after Congress had passed the long overdue legislation just hours earlier, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown. The White House said Biden signed the legislation at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he was spending the weekend. It had cleared the Senate by a 74-24 vote shortly after funding had expired for the agencies at midnight. But the White House had sent out a notice shortly after the deadline announcing that the Office of Management and Budget had ceased shutdown preparations because there was a high degree of confidence that Congress would pass the legislation and the president would sign it Saturday. It took lawmakers six months into the current budget year to get near the finish line on government funding, the process slowed by conservatives who pushed for more policy mandates and steeper spending cuts than a Democratic-led Senate or White House would consider. The impasse

US House to vote on bill that decides ByteDance-owned TikTok's fate in US

Tiktok CEO Shou Zi Chew will visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday on a previously scheduled trip to talk to senators, a source briefed on the matter said

US needs highly qualified professionals from India, says Congressman

The United States needs highly qualified professionals from India, an influential American lawmaker has said, advocating that the US Congress remove the seven per cent country quota for issuing of Green Cards that has resulted in decades of long wait for professionals from India who have moved to this country. It's so important that Indians are able to immigrate to the United States when they're looking for jobs because the United States depends on high quality, high skilled, very smart people coming from all over the world to work here. It's one of the natural advantages of the United States that we welcome people from all over the world, Congressman Matt Cartwright, who represents the 8th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, told PTI in an interview. Cartwright is supporting the move by Indian American organisations, including the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora (FIIDS) for removing the per country seven per cent quota in issuing Green Cards every year. The problem is

US Senate approves $460 billion funding package, avoiding shutdown

The Senate voted 75 to 22 on Friday evening to approve the package, negotiated by congressional leaders from both parties. The House overwhelmingly passed it earlier this week

Fed is 'not far' from confidence needed to cut rates, says Jerome Powell

Powell's remarks add some additional color about officials' thinking around the timing of the first rate cut, bolstering the idea that such a move could come in the next few months

US Senate passes $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

The Senate early Tuesday passed a USD 95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, pushing ahead after months of difficult negotiations and amid growing political divisions in the Republican Party over the role of the United States abroad. The vote came after a small group of Republicans opposed to the USD 60 billion for Ukraine held the Senate floor through the night, using the final hours of debate to argue that the US should focus on its own problems before sending more money overseas. But more than a dozen Republicans voted with almost all Democrats to pass the package 70-29, with supporters arguing that abandoning Ukraine could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and threaten national security across the globe. It's been years, perhaps decades, since the Senate has passed a bill that so greatly impacts not just our national security, not just the security of our allies, but also the security of western democracy, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who .

Meta CEO Zuckerberg apologises to parents at US Senate social media hearing

Under prodding from Republican Senator Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg stood up and addressed families who held up pictures of their children who they said had been harmed by social media

Senators race to finish work on deal as aid to Ukraine hangs in balance

A deal in the Senate on border policies was being finalized Monday as senators returned to Washington for what could be a pivotal week for a painstakingly negotiated compromise that could open the door for Republican support to replenish US wartime aid for Ukraine. A core group of negotiators have been laboring for nearly two months over changes to US border and immigration policy and hoped to unveil the legislation later this week. But the bipartisan group is treading on one of the most explosive issues in American politics, and the legislation faces heavy skepticism from the wings of both political parties, including Donald Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, an arch-conservative who has shown little willingness to compromise on border policy. With the House on recess, the Senate has an opportunity this week to gain momentum for the initiative. Republican senators want a robust showing of GOP support for the bill to put pressure on ...

Biden's push for Ukraine aid stalls in Senate as negotiations drag on

President Joe Biden's push to have Congress replenish wartime aid for Ukraine as part of a deal on border and immigration policy changes will almost certainly drag into next year. The Senate, which had postponed its holiday recess, returned to Washington on Monday after negotiators worked through the weekend on the border legislation, trying to reach an agreement that could unlock the Republican votes for Biden's USD 110 billion package of aid for Ukraine, Israel and other security priorities. But senators said they still had plenty of work ahead, and it remained uncertain how many more days the Senate will remain in session this week. Barely half of the senators returned for a Monday evening vote. Obviously we need time, said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the top Democratic negotiator. The delay heaps more uncertainty on the future of the Biden administration's priority of providing support against Russia's invasion. It also puts a potential pause on politically fraught ...

US Senate passes annual defence policy bill with $886 billion package

The National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) is one of the largest bills passed annually by lawmakers and is a yearlong process for Congress

US Senators criticise India on allegations of plot to kill separatist Sikh

A bipartisan group of influential American Senators has criticised India after US prosecutors linked an Indian official to a man charged with conspiring to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in New York. The Senators were speaking at a Congressional hearing Transnational Repression: A Global Threat to Rights and Security' organised on Wednesday by the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the Committee, said: We've seen disturbing allegations against an Indian government official for involvement in planning to assassinate a US citizen in New York, who was critical of the Indian government. This follows allegations of India's involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader. Earlier this year, the Modi government had labelled both critics as terrorists. The hearing was organised with China in the focus, but India popped up several times, mainly because of the allegations from Canada and the US regarding the theme. US federal prosecutors o

Credit Suisse reinstates independent overseer for Nazi-account probe

The bank confirmed the decision Tuesday, taking the unusual step of amending a press release it issued in April to delete criticism of Barofsky's work.