Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican, criticized the Senate\u2019s passage of the foreign aid package Tuesday night, calling it \u2018wrong,\u2019 \u2018shameful\u2019 and a \u2018sad day for America\u2019 for spending money the government does not have to fund another country\u2019s war.<\/p>\n
The $95 billion package includes $61 billion to support Ukraine\u2019s war against Russia, $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid amid the Jewish State\u2019s war against Hamas and nearly $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific and Taiwan. It would also force TikTok\u2019s China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the platform or face a ban in the U.S.<\/p>\n
The Senate passed the legislation by a 79 to 18 vote, and it now heads to President Biden, who said he will sign it on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Lee made a series of posts on social media Tuesday night calling out the Republican Party for siding with Democrats to pass the measure, taking particular issue with the aid for Ukraine, saying lawmakers are \u2018spending money that doesn\u2019t belong to them.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018Americans are about to be made nearly $100 billion poorer,\u2019 Lee said Tuesday night on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. \u2018Not to secure our own borders. But to secure the borders of other countries. Republicans\u2014spurred by Republican leadership in both chambers\u2014gladly advanced the Democrats\u2019 agenda. Neglecting our own. This is shameful.\u2019<\/p>\n
In a video attached to the post, Lee said this was a \u2018sad day for America.\u2019<\/p>\n
In another video, he said Republicans \u2018can do better\u2019 than to accept GOP lawmakers in Washington who \u2018act like Democrats.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018It is time to expect more, it is time to expect freedom,\u2019 he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u2018They think they\u2019re Churchill,\u2019 Lee said in another post. \u2018They\u2019re congratulating themselves for spending money that doesn\u2019t belong to them\u2014money we don\u2019t have and will have to borrow and print. Spending other people\u2019s money to fight someone else\u2019s war\u2014against their will\u2014isn\u2019t heroic. It\u2019s cowardice.\u2019<\/p>\n
Several lawmakers sought votes on their respective amendments, including Lee, who proposed an amendment to require repayment of the foreign aid to Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Lee wrote on X: \u2018We need bold colors in the GOP. We lose with pastels.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018It doesn\u2019t end well for any political party whose elected officials repeatedly display contempt for the party\u2019s most faithful voters,\u2019 he wrote. \u2018Dems don\u2019t do this to their base. Dems fight for their base, not against it.\u2019<\/p>\n
Citing past comments from former Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Lee said foreign aid \u2018often involves taking money from poor people in rich countries to give to rich people in poor countries.\u2019<\/p>\n