Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, sought to strip from the package nearly $9 billion in funding for offensive military weapons for Israel. A decision by leadership to deny him a vote on that amendment was “a dark day for democracy,” he said in a statement.

Sanders and Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., joined GOP critics in voting against the final package, as they did on an earlier measure in February.

The path for final approval was cleared late Tuesday after Senate leaders abandoned efforts to reach agreement on amendment votes. Adoption of any amendments would have sent the package back to the House, which had already left town for the weeklong Passover recess.

Long road to passage

The initial effort to secure more foreign aid stretched back to August, when Biden first proposed a $40.1 billion emergency package for Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, disaster relief and additional migrant resources at the U.S. southern border.

But the effort in the Senate began in earnest last fall and gained more urgency after Oct. 7, when Hamas militants invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip and slaughtered 1,200 Israelis while seizing hostages.

While Israel aid enjoyed strong bipartisan support, Republicans in both chambers sought to use Ukraine aid as leverage to push through new security measures at the U.S.-Mexico border.

But a hard-fought, bipartisan border compromise reached in the Senate in February collapsed after former President Donald Trump denounced it. The Senate then voted 70-29 for a $95.3 billion aid package that largely mirrors the final version it cleared Tuesday with some notable tweaks.

Some GOP conservatives who opposed the final bill said they felt betrayed by its lack of any new border security measures.

“This is not compromise,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. “This is legislative blackmail. And I will not vote for blackmail.”

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(Roll Call staff writers John M. Donnelly, Paul M. Krawzak and Briana Reilly contributed to this report.)

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