February 7th, 2024 by WCBC Radio

Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement following the Senate’s failed cloture vote to pass the bipartisan supplemental funding package.

“The failure to move this bipartisan funding package forward represents both a dereliction of American leadership on the world stage and a refusal to uphold our responsibilities to secure the integrity of our borders at home. It makes clear that there are those in this legislative body who will prioritize fidelity to Donald Trump and his personal interests over the safety and security of our country and the global community. I fear the consequences of deserting our allies abroad and turning our backs on critical immigration reform merely for political exploitation will have real and far-reaching implications.

“While I am open to pursuing different legislative options, I am not open to the idea that our allies are expendable. I am not open to abandoning the brave Ukrainians fighting on the front lines in defense of democracy and against Russian aggression. I am not open to deserting Israel as they work to bring their hostages home and defend themselves against Hamas. And I am certainly not open to conceding to autocrats like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in their shared mission for global supremacy. We simply cannot allow this impasse to undermine our commitments to support Ukraine, Israel, and our partners in the Indo-Pacific.”