US president Joe Biden.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Washington: A group of US Senators said Sunday they had reached a bipartisan $118 billion security agreement to put new restrictions on the US border and provide military aid to Israel and Ukraine.
Here is some of what is in the bill they released:
Border measures
The bill, if it passes the House and Senate, would direct about $20 billion to additional enforcement on the US border with Mexico and to combat drug trafficking.
It would also give the government emergency powers to refuse entry to migrants crossing the border or to quickly expel those who had already entered the US.
Those powers would not restrict the entry of U.S. citizens or others with a legal basis to enter the country.
The powers would kick in whenever the Border Patrol catches an average of at least 4,000 people crossing the southern border outside of ports of entry each day during a single week. The government would be required to use those tools once crossings top 5,000 a day per week.
That would not amount to a total shutdown. The bill would require the government to process at least 1,400 migrants per day at border crossings, and would maintain some protections for people who fear torture or persecution after being deported. And it caps the number of days the emergency powers can be used each year.
Dreamers
The bill does not provide protection from deportation for "Dreamer" immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and grew up in the country.
Ukraine aid
The bill includes $60.06 billion in additional aid to Ukraine. Much of that would come in the form of weapons and military equipment. It includes almost $20 billion to replenish U.S. stockpiles of equipment transferred to Ukraine and another $13.8 billion to allow Kyiv to buy more munitions from U.S. suppliers.
Isreal aid
The Senate plan directs $14.1 billion to Israel to support its war against Hamas. The funding includes about $5.2 billion for missile defense systems.
It also strips U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Israel has accused 12 of its Palestinian employees of being involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
Red sea support
The bill gives the Pentagon $2.4 billion for operations around the Red Sea, where U.S. forces have sought to combat attacks on shipping by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Indo pacific funding
The bill would spend almost $2.6 billion on efforts to deter China. Most of the money, about $1.9 billion, would be to replace U.S. munitions provided to Taiwan. (Reporting by Brad Heath; Editing by Michael Perry)