Kentucky proposal to freeze property tax for older homeowners clears Senate
Kentucky lawmakers have advanced a proposed constitutional amendment meant to protect older homeowners from having to pay higher property taxes. The measure cleared the Senate on a 32-2 vote Monday and goes to the House. If it wins approval in both chambers, the measure would be placed on this year’s general election ballot for voters to decide the issue. Lawmakers will decide in the coming weeks which constitutional changes, if any, to put on the statewide November ballot. Several other proposed constitutional amendments are being considered. The property tax-related proposal would apply to Kentuckians age 65 and older who own their home and reside there. It would freeze the valuation of their home for tax purposes once they reach 65. One lawmaker said he’s been contacted by older people pleading for property tax relief. KENTUCKY AG SUES KROGER FOR ITS ROLE IN OPIOID CRISIS Its supporters said the proposed constitutional protection is meant to shield older Kentuckians from being hit with property tax increases. They’ve already felt the sting from the post-pandemic surge in inflation, supporters said. The measure’s lead sponsor is Republican Sen. Michael Nemes. The measure drew criticism, even among some supporters, for lacking a “means test,” which would result in wealthy, older Kentuckians benefiting from the property tax freeze as well as those in actual need. The proposal’s supporters stressed that the intent is to help older Kentuckians on fixed incomes who are struggling to pay their property taxes. “The purpose of this amendment is clearly to provide relief to those who can least afford a property tax increase,” said Republican Sen. Phillip Wheeler. Republican Sen. Jimmy Higdon said he supported the proposed constitutional change on behalf of all the older Kentuckians who have “called me begging for relief from the property taxes.” Some senators cautioned that even a limited property tax freeze would have an impact on local governments and school districts that rely on property tax revenues.
Supreme Court gives Jack Smith a deadline to respond to Trump’s attempt to delay trial until after election
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday gave Special Counsel Jack Smith a one-week deadline to respond to former President Trump’s request to delay his 2020 election interference trial. Trump’s attorneys on Monday filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court contesting a decision by the DC Court of Appeals that found the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner is not immune from prosecution in Smith’s case. The request is for temporary relief, to stay, or block, the appeals court mandate from taking effect. If granted, the Trump legal team would have more time to file an appeal to the Supreme Court on the merits of whether a former president deserves immunity from criminal prosecution for actions while in office. Chief Justice John Roberts instructed Smith to reply to Trump’s request no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024 though a filing could come sooner. Smith is prosecuting Trump for his alleged efforts to incite the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case in Washington, D.C., delayed the March 4 trial earlier this month pending resolution of Trump’s immunity claim. TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO EXTEND DELAY IN ELECTION CASE, CLAIMING PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY The Justice Department may ask for expedited consideration of Trump’s initial emergency appeal in response to the Supreme Court’s order. The high court could then issue an order on whether to grant the state, until Trump files an appeal on the merits. TRUMP NOT IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION IN 2020 ELECTION CASE, FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES Alternatively, the court could grant Trump the stay and agree to hear the case on the merits without waiting for Trump to appeal. Were that to happen, the court is likely to expedite the matter, with oral arguments and a ruling coming within weeks or months. Should the court reject Trump’s request for a stay, the case would be thrown back to Judge Chutkan, who would then restart the pre-trial process and set a new trial date. TRUMP TRIAL DELAYED IN CASE STEMMING FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION Smith previously asked the Supreme Court to take up the immunity question in late 2023, arguing that the justices were the only ones who could fully settle the immunity question. “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected,” Smith wrote in a December filing. “Respondent’s claims are profoundly mistaken, as the district court held. But only this Court can definitively resolve them. The Court should grant a writ of certiorari before judgment to ensure that it can provide the expeditious resolution that this case warrants, just as it did in United States v. Nixon.” Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.
Minnesota Legislature poised to amend rule limiting law enforcement in schools
The Minnesota Legislature convened Monday with lawmakers fast-tracking legislation to fix a law enacted last year that limits the powers of police who work in schools to restrain disruptive students. The change was one of several restrictions on the use of force passed in the state since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer in 2020 put the state in the international spotlight over racism and policing. Several law enforcement agencies withdrew their officers from Minnesota schools last fall, calling the new rules unworkable. The House and Senate gaveled to order around noon Monday for a 14-week session with a relatively modest agenda. They’ll take something of a breather after a momentous 2023 session that saw Democrats use their newfound full control of the statehouse to enact practically everything on their ambitious wish list. That included expanded abortion and transgender rights, paid family and medical leave, universal free school lunches, child care credits and other aid for families. The main task this year is a public infrastructure borrowing package known as a bonding bill. The session must end by May 20. 40 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES PULL OUT OF MINNESOTA SCHOOLS AFTER LAW CHANGE: ‘POLICE WERE BLINDSIDED’ The House scheduled the first of at least three hearings on a potential solution for the school resource officers dispute for Monday evening, with a floor vote possible as early as next week. It would try to bring clarity by developing a statewide standard for school resource officer training and develop a model policy for school districts on the proper use of force that would include minimizing the use of prone restraints and other holds that can impair breathing, while promoting conflict de-escalation. The bill also removes a requirement from last year’s law that a threat of bodily injury or death be “imminent” before a teacher or principal could use “reasonable force” on a student to prevent injury or death to a student or others. The Democratic-controlled House voted down a procedural attempt by the Republican minority to bring the issue to the floor immediately. MINNESOTA WOMEN CONVICTED IN CONNECTION WITH MURDER RELEASED EARLY FROM PRISON BECAUSE OF NEW CHANGE TO LAW “Democrats have delayed fixing this long enough, leaving our students and school staff less safe. We cannot wait one more minute,” GOP House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, of Cold Spring, said during the debate. The lead sponsor in the House, Democratic Rep. Cedrick Frazier, of New Hope, countered that it was more important to put the bill through the public hearing process first so that all stakeholders can weigh in. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, a former high school teacher, told reporters that his goal is to reach a compromise that makes sure that school resource officers and teachers have a clear understanding of what they can do in situations where students need to be restrained, so that all sides can be confident going forward. A Senate committee is expected to take its first look at the legislation Wednesday. Democratic Majority Leader Erin Murphy, of St. Paul, said she expects the bill to reach the Senate floor in the next two or three weeks. Advocates for people with disabilities and mental illness expressed concerns about the possible lessening of protections for vulnerable students, while law enforcement groups called for modifications to shield police departments more explicitly from civil liability. Before lawmakers convened, Democratic Sen. Mary Kunesh, of New Brighton, led chants of “E-R-A! E-R-A!” as hundreds of people holding green signs rallied in the Capitol rotunda for a top Democratic priority for the session, an Equal Rights Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution. MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS INITIATE DEBATE ON PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL The amendment would ban gender discrimination and add permanent constitutional protections for abortion rights, as well as for gender identity and expression. The 2023 session removed nearly all restrictions on abortion from Minnesota law. Supporters want to ensure that no future session could restore them. The amendment would go on the 2026 ballot so that supporters have more time to campaign for it. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, of East Grand Forks, accused Democrats of “playing political games” by waiting two years instead of letting voters decide in November. He said the amendment contains “extreme language” on abortion and other social issues. Supporters of making Minnesota a “sanctuary state” for immigrants without permanent legal status rallied outside the Capitol in support of a bill that would bar state and local governments from sharing data or collaborating with federal authorities on civil immigration enforcement. The narrow Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are divided on the issue, and House Speaker Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, told reporters she didn’t think there are enough votes to pass it.
NRA throws full support behind North Carolina’s Mark Robinson for governor: ‘fervent patriot’
FIRST ON FOX – The National Rifle Association gave their full endorsement to “fervent patriot” Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in his bid to expand his meteoric political rise and become governor of the Tar Heel State, Fox News Digital has learned. “It is with immense pride and unwavering support that I, on behalf of the National Rifle Association members across North Carolina, extend to you the NRA-PVF’s highest accolade, the ‘A+’ rating, and our full endorsement for your gubernatorial bid in the 2024 North Carolina Primary Election,” NRA-ILA Executive Director Randy Kozuch wrote in a letter to Robinson Tuesday. Robinson assumed office as North Carolina lieutenant governor in 2021, becoming the state’s first Black American to hold the office, and announced last April he would run for governor. Kozuch detailed in his endorsement letter that Robinson’s fight to protect the Second Amendment has resonated not only with NRA members in North Carolina, but law-abiding gun owners nationwide. NORTH CAROLINA’S REPUBLICAN LT GOV MARK ROBINSON LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE DEMOCRAT GOV ROY COOPER “Your resolute defense of the Second Amendment and the principles of liberty has profoundly resonated with our members, not just in North Carolina but across the nation. Your assertion that the protection of the citizenry’s right to keep and bear arms is not just a policy stance but a fundamental cornerstone of freedom, echoes the very ethos of the NRA,” Kozuch said in his letter. Robinson went viral in 2018 when he delivered an impassioned speech regarding gun laws during a city council meeting in Greensboro, before he was elected to political office. His speech came in response to local leaders debating whether to cancel a gun show following the Parkland school shooting in Florida that same year. REPUBLICAN MARK ROBINSON ON HISTORIC LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WIN: ‘THIS PARTY IS OPEN TO EVERYBODY’ “I’m a law-abiding citizen who’s never shot anybody,” Robinson said at the meeting, which was viewed 200 million times. “Every time we have one of these shootings, nobody wants to put the blame where it goes, which is at the shooter’s feet. You want to put it at my feet. You want to turn around and restrict my right.” The viral speech catapulted Robinson into politics, including delivering an NRA speech in 2018 before he secured the lieutenant governorship. Robinson previously worked as a furniture factory employee in North Carolina and is an Army veteran. “On April 3, 2018, you stood tall as a beacon of liberty before the Greensboro City Council, vowing to be the unwavering voice for the rights of law-abiding citizens. A mere month later, you boldly took the national stage, addressing the national media and fellow NRA members and Second Amendment champions at the 2018 NRA Leadership Forum,” Kozuch said in his letter. Kozuch said Robinson’s rise in politics has been “nothing short of remarkable,” while highlighting the North Carolina Republican has remained dedicated to protecting the Second Amendment while in political office. NORTH CAROLINA LT. GOV. MARK ROBINSON CHECKS OFF THE LEFT’S POLITICAL ‘BOXES,’ BUT RECEIVES ‘SCANT’ CAMPUS INVITES “Your ascent over the past six years has been nothing short of remarkable. As a fervent patriot and defender of freedom, you took the courageous step to run for office, emerged victorious, and have since ceaselessly upheld your solemn pledge to defend the rights of law-abiding gun owners,” he said. Robinson’s ideology is rooted in “common-sense conservatism,” according to his official lieutenant governor biography, with him focusing on “protecting the life of the unborn, defending the 2nd Amendment, giving control over children’s education back to parents, standing up for law enforcement, addressing veterans’ care, and enacting election reform.” The state’s Republican primary for governor will be held March 5, where Robinson will face-off against state Treasurer Dale Folwell and veteran trial lawyer Bill Graham. “This endorsement is a testament to your steadfast commitment to the Second Amendment and your relentless efforts to safeguard the right of North Carolinians to defend themselves and their loved ones,” Kozuch said in his letter.
Georgia voters must fill House and Senate openings in 2 packed local elections
Voters in a west Georgia state Senate district and a state House seat near Augusta are going to the polls Tuesday to choose replacements for lawmakers who resigned. In state Senate District 30, Republican Mike Dugan stepped down to run for Congress. Republican candidates to replace him include former state Rep. Tim Bearden of Carrollton, real estate agent Renae Bell of Tallapoosa and consultant Robert “Bob” Smith. The lone Democrat is Ashley Kecskes Godwin of Carrollton. The district covers all of Haralson County and parts of Carroll, Douglas and Paulding counties. GEORGIA POSITIONED TO AID TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT’S BORDER SECURITY DISPUTE WITH BIDEN Bearden was elected to the state House four times before former Gov. Nathan Deal appointed him as director of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. Bearden is now the government affairs manager for a billboard company. Bell is a real estate agent, the wife of Haralson County school Superintendent Jerry Bell, and the former chair of the Greater Haralson Chamber of Commerce. In state House District 125, Rep, Barry Fleming stepped down to become a superior court judge. Republicans running in the House race include conservative commentator C.J. Pearson of Grovetown, Columbia County Commissioner and car wash owner Gary Richardson of Evans and farmer James Steed of Grovetown. Also on the ballot are Democrat Kay Turner, a Grovetown cosmetologist, and Libertarian John Turpish, a Grovetown software developer. The district covers parts of Columbia and McDuffie counties. The House race has shaped up as a battle between Pearson and Richardson. Pearson overcame a residency challenge while winning endorsements from hard-right conservatives and campaigning on a Trump aligned-platform. The 21-year-old Pearson has been opposed by Gov. Brian Kemp’s political organization after Pearson helped manage the primary campaign of Kemp challenger Vernon Jones in 2022. Richardson, who can’t run again for county commission because of term limits, is also quite conservative but has run a lower-key campaign, touting his experience in public service. Members of all parties are running together on the same ballot. If no one wins a majority in the races, the top two candidates would advance to a runoff on March 12, the same day as Georgia’s presidential primary.
House GOP gunning for testimony from Biden Special Counsel Robert Hur, sources say
The House Judiciary Committee is in talks to have Special Counsel Robert Hur potentially testify on Capitol Hill after releasing his report on President Biden’s handling of classified documents, Fox News Digital has learned. Two sources told Fox News Digital that House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan’s committee is looking at late February or early March for possible dates for Hur to testify. House Republicans appear poised for a lengthy probe into Hur’s findings after he released a 388-page report clearing President Biden of wrongdoing despite having “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials.” SPECIAL COUNSEL CALLS BIDEN ‘SYMPATHETIC, WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY MAN WITH A POOR MEMORY,’ BRINGS NO CHARGES Hur said Biden came off “as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and that “it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him-by then a former president well into his eighties-of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.” Republican lawmakers have argued that Hur’s decision not to recommend charges against Biden is an example of the two-tiered justice system in the U.S. It’s also spurred speculation over whether the 81-year-old president is unfit for office. Jordan, R-Ohio, along with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday calling for him to release the transcripts and recordings of Biden’s interview with the special counsel’s office. BIDEN RETAINED RECORDS RELATED TO UKRAINE, CHINA; COMER DEMANDS ‘UNFETTERED ACCESS’ AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY In the letter, they accused Biden of lying at a press conference after the report’s release when he said, “I did not share classified information. I did not share it” when asked whether he disclosed the sensitive information to his ghostwriter. “As explained to Mr. Hur in October, there is concern that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings,” they wrote. “Further, we seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden’s personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interview that would have precluded a line of inquiry regarding evidence (emails, text messages, or witness statements) directly linking the President to troublesome foreign payments.” COMER DEMANDS ANSWERS ON WHETHER BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS MENTION COUNTRIES RELATED TO FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS The Judiciary Committee’s discussion with Hur is likely to come within days of Hunter Biden’s closed-door deposition in front of Jordan and Comer’s panels, the sources said. The president’s son is sitting down with impeachment inquiry investigators on Feb. 28. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and DOJ for comment on Hur’s potential testimony.
Former Illinois senator’s wire fraud and money laundering trial delayed again
A federal judge on Monday further delayed the wire fraud and money laundering trial of William “Sam” McCann, a former candidate for Illinois governor, after McCann declared he was “medically and psychologically” unable to proceed and dropped his plan to represent himself. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Lawless didn’t buy the self-diagnosis of the ex-lawmaker, who was hospitalized last week with chest pains and fainting spells but discharged on Wednesday. But after a second conference with his so-called standby attorney, Jason Vincent, McCann indicated he wanted Vincent to take over and the judge granted a one-day extension to allow Vincent to confirm a defense strategy with his client. McCann, a former Republican state senator from Plainview who waged a 2018 third-party conservative campaign for governor, was indicted in February 2021 by former U.S. Attorney John Milhiser, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump. McCann faces seven counts of wire fraud and single counts of money laundering and tax evasion for allegedly converting hundreds of thousands of dollars of political campaign contributions to personal use. FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO ILLINOIS HOUSE SPEAKER RECEIVES PRISON TIME FOR LYING UNDER OATH In response to questioning by Lawless, McCann, who has been held in a nearby county jail since his personal recognizance bond was revoked last Friday, said he had fallen overnight and was found by jailers early this morning. “You ask me if I feel ready, no. I’m standing here in prison clothes, I fell and hit my head in the front and the back, I have severe angina, but I’ll adhere to whatever you say,” McCann said. “I don’t feel medically or psychologically able to proceed.” The 54-year-old McCann, who entered the courtroom in a wheel chair, was hospitalized last week after passing out and complaining of chest pains, delaying the scheduled Feb. 5 start to his trial. This was after Lawless granted him a 60-day extension last November when he dismissed his lawyers and announced he wanted to represent himself. He was discharged last Wednesday after doctors found no problems with his heart. He told Lawless Monday he was uncertain of what medications he had been prescribed and had very little memory of events that occurred after his discharge, including driving himself to Springfield on Friday when his parole was revoked. “From the beginning, I have tried to give you an opportunity to represent yourself, to comply with court orders, to be forthcoming with information and to be honest with the court,” Lawless said. “Now you’re telling me you drove here Friday and don’t remember it and don’t know why you don’t remember it?” McCann blamed the loss of memory on not having access in the jail to several medications, including duloxetine, an antidepressant for which medical literature recommends dosages be stepped down rather than stopped cold. But the government pointed out that U.S. Marshals Service officers obtaining McCann’s medications for his jail stay learned McCann had not taken duloxetine for two months. PROSECUTION RESTS CASE IN CORRUPTION TRIAL FOR EX-ILLINOIS HOUSE SPEAKER’S ASSOCIATES McCann declined comment as he was wheeled from the courtroom. “All of his actions indicate he is coherent and fully mentally capable of going about whatever business he has except when he’s before your honor,” assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass told Lawless. “You have bent over backward to ensure he has a fair trial, but respectfully, at some point you have to say, ‘Enough is enough.’” Bass did not object to a day’s delay to assist Vincent’s preparation to take over McCann’s defense. Vincent said he was familiar with evidence in the case but needed time to discuss trial technicalities, potential witnesses and how to cross-examine them and other ways McCann can assist him.
Majority of Americans say Biden received ‘special treatment’ in special counsel probe: poll
More than half of Americans believe President Biden got “special treatment” in the special counsel investigation into his mishandling of classified documents, according to a new poll. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 53% of Americans believe Biden got off easy because he is president. Roughly 29% of Democrats also agreed Biden got special treatment. The results come after Special Counsel Robert Hur chose not to recommend charges against Biden for mishandling classified documents, in part because Biden could present himself to the jury as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Hur’s report went on to describe significant memory issues for Biden, saying the president could not remember when his son, Beau, died. He also failed to remember what years he served as vice president under President Obama. BIDEN ALLIES GO ON DEFENSE BLITZ FOLLOWING HUR REPORT: ‘BUCKET OF BS’ Biden’s age and mental capacity have long been top issues for voters. Polls have found that large majorities of Americans believe he is too old to run for office, and Tuesday’s Reuters poll is no different. Roughly 78% of respondents said he is too old to serve a second term, and 71% of Democrats agreed. BIDEN LEAD OVER TRUMP SHRINKS WITH THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES ADDED Ipsos conducted the poll from Feb. 9 through Feb. 12, surveying 1,237 U.S. adults. The poll used the probability-based Knowledge Panel to ensure respondents represented the U.S. population. The poll advertised a margin of error of 2.91%. Biden and the White House have dismissed concerns about his fitness for office. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated on Monday that the president’s upcoming physical exam will not include a cognitive test. Jean-Pierre stated that Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, believes Biden proves his cognitive ability “every day [in] how he operates and how he thinks.” Biden himself attempted to laugh off his memory issues on Monday. Delivering remarks at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference, Biden spoke about his bipartisan infrastructure law. “After devastating floods, tornadoes, wildfires and hurricane, we’re going to keep working together to respond, to rebuild and boost resilience to extreme weather. My administration is also helping install rooftop solar to build a national network of electric vehicle charging stations for revitalizing fenceline communities smothered by the legacy of pollution like where I lived in Claymont,” Biden said, referring to where his family moved in Delaware during the early 1950s. “What I didn’t realize, and I’ve been around, I know it don’t look like it, but I’ve been around a while. I do remember that,” Biden said, garnering laughter and applause.
Farmers’ Protest: Why are farmers demanding India’s withdrawal from WTO?
WTO deals with the rules of trade between nations and India has been a member of WTO since January 1995.
Young Republicans slam Senate bill that ignores US migrant crisis, funds Ukraine
Younger Senate Republicans ripped GOP leadership after the Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill without addressing the migrant crisis at the southern border. Early Tuesday morning, the Senate voted 70 to 29 in favor of President Biden’s requested supplemental package to provide aid for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and the Indo-Pacific. The bill passed after weeks of contentious debate during which bipartisan negotiators proposed a deal on border security funding that was rejected by conservatives and declared dead on arrival in the House of Representatives. “This morning the America last caucus got a $61 billion aid package out of the Senate. But they paid dearly for this small win. The House won’t pass the current bill,” Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, posted on X after the supplemental package passed. “We must fix our country before devoting more resources to Ukraine,” Vance added in a summary statement of the complaint from the 22 Republicans who voted against the package. SENATE PASSES CONTROVERSIAL FOREIGN AID BILL SENDING BILLIONS TO UKRAINE, ISRAEL AND TAIWAN The U.S. has already spent more than $100 billion in aid for Ukraine since its war against Russia began in Feb. 2022. The funding bill passed Tuesday morning includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and nearly $5 billion for the Indo-Pacific. Democrats brought the package up for a vote after Republicans had blocked a previous $118 billion package that included numerous bipartisan border and immigration provisions. The final legislation contained no border security provisions and was panned by several of the younger members of the Republican conference. “Nearly every Republican Senator under the age of 55 voted NO on this America Last bill,” 48-year-old Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., observed on X. “15 out of 17 elected since 2018 voted NO. Things are changing just not fast enough.” Republican hardliners attempted to introduce amendments with border security provisions, but they were voted down. REPUBLICANS ATTEMPT TO GET HARDLINE BORDER SECURITY BILL INTO FOREIGN AID PACKAGE Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced an amendment identical to the House’s immigration bill, H.R. 2, which would restore most Trump-era restrictions, hire additional border patrol officers and tighten asylum screenings. “I cannot in good conscience support this bill without real, substantial additions to bolster border security,” Cruz said in a statement after the bill passed without his amendment. “… [W]e must defend our nation first. I will vote to support aid to our allies, but only after America’s border is secured. No state bears the brunt of this burden more heavily than Texas, which is on the front lines of a literal invasion of millions upon millions of illegal aliens,” Cruz added. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who led the filibuster effort along with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said the Republicans who voted in favor of the package “turn[ed] on the commitment they made to each other and to their voters and to our House Republican colleagues down the hall.” SENATE REPUBLICANS PREPARE FOR LONG HAUL IN FIGHT OVER UKRAINE, ISRAEL AID The split in the Senate GOP conference over foreign aid represents a generational divide as much as an ideological one. Lee is 52 years old. Cruz is 53, and Vance is 39. Paul is slightly older at 61 but still two decades younger than his colleague from Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81. McConnell fought hard for Ukraine funding, arguing it was in the national interest for the U.S. to remain a global defender of the sovereignty of nations against aggressive invaders like Russia. “I know it’s become quite fashionable in some circles to disregard the global interests we have as a global power, to bemoan the responsibilities of global leadership,” McConnell said on the floor on Super Bowl Sunday. “To lament the commitment that has underpinned the longest drought of great power conflict in human history — this is idle work for idle minds, and it has no place in the United States Senate.” Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas became emotional in a floor speech in support of the bill, stating America has a responsibility to assist Ukraine against Russian aggression. “I believe in America first, but unfortunately America first means we have to engage in the world,” said Moran, 69. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, 76, called the vote to provide military assistance to Ukraine “the most important vote we will ever take as U.S. senators.” The supplemental package now heads to the House, where 52-year-old House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has already declared it a nonstarter without border security funding. “The mandate of national security supplemental legislation was to secure America’s own border before sending additional foreign aid around the world,” Johnson said in a statement Monday. “It is what the American people demand and deserve.” Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.