Amid the Senate releasing a $118 billion bipartisan border security and foreign aid bill, Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna said on Monday she wants to send lawmakers to fight for Ukraine.
Following tensions over the U.S-Mexico border, the text of a much-hyped bipartisan Senate bill was released on Sunday that introduced what would be the most substantial border security reforms in years alongside aid packages for Ukraine and Israel.
However, many Republicans, especially those in the House of Representatives, have criticized the bill and pledged to oppose it, citing issues with the border policies not being strict enough, which the bill’s GOP co-authors have disputed, and with the size of its aid to Ukraine. Overall, the proposed bill would allot $20 billion for border funding, $60 billion in Ukraine aid, $14 billion for Israel, $9.2 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza civilians, and $4.83 billion for Indo-Pacific nations.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Luna called out Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who announced he would hold the first vote on the legislation on Wednesday, adding that she would introduce a bill in honor of Schumer that would require “any politician” who backs sending troops to Ukraine to fight alongside them.
Newsweek has reached out to Luna’s and Schumer’s office via email for comment.
“In honor of Chuck Schumer, I’ll be introducing a bill that will require any politician who advocates for sending American troops to Ukraine to be required to fight on the front lines with them,” Luna said.
However, in response to Luna’s post, X user Republicans against Trump, dismissed Luna’s proposition writing, “Literally no one is advocating sending troops to Ukraine, you shameless Russian propagandists”.
The bill has only specified the amount of aid Ukraine would receive, a move Schumer notes is a “monumental step towards strengthening America’s national security abroad.”
“It provides billions in vital investments in America’s national security to address growing threats in the Middle East and Red Sea, equips Ukraine to fight off Putin,” Schumer said in a statement on X. “In the coming days, the Senate must act decisively on this emergency national security supplemental funding.”
Luna’s comments come after Republicans have said they will only support additional aid to Ukraine if border security is prioritized. Others have been concerned about the level of spending in proposed legislation.
Meanwhile, Biden said in a statement that the Senate proposal “allows the United States to continue our vital work, together with partners all around the world, to stand up for Ukraine’s freedom and support its ability to defend itself against Russia’s aggression.”
