this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2023
128 points (97.8% liked)

Ukraine

8242 readers
752 users here now

News and discussion related to Ukraine

*Sympathy for enemy combatants is prohibited.

*No content depicting extreme violence or gore.

*Posts containing combat footage should include [Combat] in title

*Combat videos containing any footage of a visible human must be flagged NSFW


Donate to support Ukraine's Defense

Donate to support Humanitarian Aid


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
all 23 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 15 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

The craziest thing is that a single person can decide what the representatives can vote on, and thus keep the entire country hostage. In many civilised democracies, any faction (usually there are more than two) in parliament can introduce bills to be voted on. Which would make this whole thing impossible, because there clearly is a broad majority for a huge Ukraine aid package. But they don't get to vote on it, because a minority can demand that unrelated stuff get tacked onto the same bill. What does Israel (armed to the teeth anyway, and not currently putting their might to good use, losing what sympathy they might have had after the October 7 atrocities) and US border security have to do with Ukraine? You want to vote on those issues, too? Fine, introduce a bill and vote on them. Separately.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

(usually there are more than two)

You've hit on the biggest failing of the US version of democracy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Omnibus bills get made because it acts as the compromise document. Instead of promises to vote on separate bills, all the compromises are lumped into one bill to vote on.

It is also important for a Congressional system like the US, with two houses with their own democratic mandate and an executive who can veto. Most countries have a Parliamentary system, or at least a different kind of system without the stark division of powers that the USA has.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


Biden intends to “underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine” in its war against Russia, Jean-Pierre said.

Top Biden aides have been in contact with lawmakers directly involved in the negotiations, including Schumer as well as Sens.

He previously said he’d oppose unconditional aid to Israel unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government changes “its current offensive military approach.”

Senators last week resumed talks about border provisions, which Republicans have insisted be included in the foreign aid bill, after the measure failed.

Murphy stressed that “we are not going to put Donald Trump’s immigration policies into statute” as he spoke about the battle over the border provisions of the aid bill.

Asked by host Kristen Welker if an additional $60 billion in Ukraine aid could change the outcome of its war with Russia, Murphy said he believes it would.


The original article contains 539 words, the summary contains 144 words. Saved 73%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

Nice, finally