The Senate on Tuesday afternoon easily cleared a procedural hurdle on the $95 billion national security package, setting up a final vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the floor that the “time has come to finish the job to help our friends abroad once and for all.”
“Let us not keep our friends around the world waiting for a moment longer,” Schumer said.
A final vote could come as soon as Tuesday night.
The House already passed the national security bill over the weekend, meaning the legislation will head to President Biden’s desk after Senate passage.
Biden has long asked for support to defend Ukraine, Israel and other allies and is expected to swiftly sign it into law.
The package comes after months of delays on Capitol Hill, where some House Republicans have questioned funding Ukraine against Russian forces.
That delay has led to Russia pushing hard against a struggling Ukrainian military on the battlefield.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) warned that “dithering and hesitation” have already strengthened Russia.
“Make no mistake: Delay in providing Ukraine the weapons to defend itself has strained the prospects of defeating Russian aggression,” he said on the Senate floor.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the military can get Ukraine what it needs within days after passage.
“We understand the importance and the urgency and are doing everything we can to be poised to respond quickly,” he told reporters.
The U.S. will send 155-millimeter artillery shells, air defense munitions and armored vehicles in a $1 billion package, he Associated Press reported.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with President Biden and there was an agreement to send the best versions of the Army Tactical Missile System, which can strike targets up to 190 miles away.
Zelensky said he was grateful to the U.S. and “all who support the active defense of freedom.”
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
