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Party leaders, national security institutionalists and centrists make up the 18 Republicans who have joined Democrats in breaking filibusters against the military aid, defying former President Donald J. Trump.
The defectors have cleared the way for approval within days of $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Pacific region.Credit…Kenny Holston/The New York TimesFeb. 12, 2024Updated 5:20 p.m. ET
Eighteen Senate Republicans are bucking a majority of their party and former President Donald J. Trump in joining Democrats to push military assistance for Ukraine toward approval in the Senate, highlighting a widening foreign policy divide in the contemporary Republican Party.
The 18 senators, mainly national security hawks who include several military veterans, have provided the votes necessary to overcome multiple filibusters backed by a majority of their colleagues, clearing the way for approval within days of $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Pacific region.
“The thread that binds that group together is national security,” said Senator Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican who is one of the 18. “America’s national security, the belief that what happens in Ukraine matters to the United States, the belief that what happens in Israel matters and the belief that what happens in the South Pacific matters.”
Backing the funding could draw condemnation from Mr. Trump and his allies, a possibility that was most likely a factor in the decision of some to oppose it.
Some Republicans who have balked at the bill have suggested that they could ultimately back the legislation on final passage after trying to use their opposition to win the chance to change it — an effort that has so far not proved successful. But whether more than half of the 49 Republicans will vote for it remains an open question.
Here’s a closer look at the defectors so far, and what is motivating them.
Senator Mitch McConnell.
Credit…Anna Rose Layden for The New York TimesSlide 1 of 6
Senator Mitch McConnell.
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