U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says the Senate did the right thing by passing additional aid for Ukraine.
The $95 billion package also includes funds for Israel and Taiwan. It faces an uncertain future in the House.
“Now the Speaker of the House has said that the Republicans there won't allow a vote on the issue,” Durbin said Wednesday. “That's wrong. That's just plain wrong. Giving victory to Vladimir Putin is not in the best interests of peace in this world.”
Durbin made the comments during a visit to Ottawa.
President Biden and other law makers are urging the House of Representatives to take up the military aid package as soon as possible.
Republicans say they will not support foreign aid without substantial changes to border policies here in the United States.
Sen. Durbin was in Illinois for the groundbreaking ceremony for a project aimed to restore aquatic vegetation in a portion of the Illinois River.
The Starved Rock Breakwater Project is an effort led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Durbin says this idea to improve the ecosystems has been working its way through Congress since 2007.
He says the Starved Rock location is important.
“We have 40% of the bird species and 25% of the North American fish species all right here in the upper Mississippi and Illinois watersheds,” Durbin said. “Now we're doing something to restore them to make sure that these wildlife creatures have a possibility of a future.”
It’s the third project within the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program. The long-term plan is intended to modernize Illinois locks and dams.
The Starved Rock Project is expected to be done in October.
