Republican Senator Lindsey Graham wants assurance from the Senate's Democratic leader prior to voting on the successful House debt ceiling bill, potentially plunging the United States into default unless more financial aid is provided to Ukraine and the U.S. military.
Graham made an impassioned speech Thursday on the Senate floor, saying small increases in fiscal year defense spending are not part of a "Threat-based budget" but one that lacks safety and security for Americans.
He later said that a supplemental defense budget for Ukraine and other spending must be agreed upon swiftly by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to make up for the House GOP's below-inflation 3 percent military increase.
The defense spending caps for the deal that passed the House Wednesday and raised the nation's borrowing limit via a 314-117 vote include a 3 percent increase from current levels to $886 billion in fiscal year 2024, according to Roll Call, just a 1 percent increase from fiscal year 2024 to 2025.
"I'm not going to let us default, but I'm not going to destroy our military in the name of raising the debt," Graham told reporters, according to the Washington Examiner.
"To my House colleagues: I can't believe you did this," Graham said on the floor.
"Clearly our support for Ukraine will be outside the budget, as it has been in the past, but I'd like to see additional support for our own military in emergency supplementals as well."
https://www.newsweek.com/lindsey-graham-willing-push-us-default-support-ukraine-1803943
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