In a procedural vote on Tuesday, nine Republicans and one Democrat in the Senate moved to advance a comprehensive aid package that includes support for Ukraine, Israel, and global humanitarian assistance. This comes after the same legislation faced opposition earlier this year.

The package, which is now heading towards a final vote, received a significant boost with an 80-19 majority in support during the procedural vote. Out of the 31 Republicans who voted to advance the package, nine of them had previously opposed it in February. These Republican senators who shifted their stance are Katie Britt of Alabama, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, and Tim Scott of South Carolina.

The aid package includes a substantial allocation of $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and global humanitarian assistance, and $8 billion for allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, the package incorporates various national security measures, with a significant focus on addressing the potential ban of popular social media platform TikTok, or at least enforcing a forced divestment.

One key provision of the aid package is the inclusion of the REPO Act, which allows the Biden administration to seize billions of dollars in Russian assets held by U.S. banks and transfer them to Ukraine for its reconstruction efforts. Some of the senators within the group of nine Republicans acknowledged former President Trump's support in increasing GOP support for the package, specifically citing his suggestion to convert part of the Ukraine funding into a loan.

Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, also voted to advance the package despite having voted against it in the final passage earlier this year. A spokesperson for Welch clarified that his decision was not reflective of full support for the legislation but rather his hope that the Senate would fulfill its role as the "world's greatest deliberative body."

The top GOP vote counter, Senator John Thune of South Dakota, expressed his expectation that the vote totals would largely remain the same when the final vote takes place on Tuesday night. Thune also acknowledged that the loan and REPO Act, combined with other adjustments, played a role in swaying some lawmakers who initially held back their support.

Although Tuesday's procedural vote saw Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, both caucusing with the Democrats, voting against advancing the bill, a number of the nine Republican senators confirmed their intention to vote "yes" on final passage, including Graham, Lankford, Mullin, and Scott.

The aid package's progress marks a significant step forward in providing crucial assistance to Ukraine, supporting Israel, and addressing global humanitarian needs. As the bill heads for its final vote, it remains to be seen how it will fare and what implications it could have in ongoing international affairs.