A view of the United States Capitol Building.
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The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Saturday on a $95 billion legislative package to provide security aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and is expected to pass it despite strong opposition from party hardliners.
More than two months have passed since the Democratic-majority Senate passed a similar measure, and U.S. leaders from Democratic President Joe Biden to Senate Republican Mitch McConnell have been urging embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson Submit it to a vote.
Johnson this week chose to ignore threats of expulsion from hardline members of his 218-213 majority and pushed for the measure, which would include about $60.84 billion in funding for Ukraine as it tries to fend off a two-year Russian invasion.
The unusual four-piece bill also includes funding for Israel, security assistance to Taiwan and allies in the Indo-Pacific region, and a measure that includes sanctions, a threat to ban Chinese social media app TikTok and the possible transfer of seized Russian assets. to Ukraine.
“The world is watching Congress’ actions,” the White House said in a statement Friday. “Passing this legislation will send a powerful message about the strength of American leadership at a critical time. The administration urges both chambers of Congress to quickly move this legislation forward.” A supplemental funding package is on the president’s desk.”
The House of Representatives voted by a bipartisan margin of 316 to 94 on Friday to bring the bill to a vote, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer telling senators that if the bill passes the House as expected, Pass and you’ll be ready to work on the weekend.
“This is not perfect legislation, and we would not have legislation like this if Republicans were in charge of the House, Senate and White House,” Johnson told reporters on Friday. “This is the best product we can get under the circumstances,” Johnson told reporters on Friday. can fulfill these truly important obligations.”
Some hard-line Republicans strongly oppose further aid to Ukraine, which some believe the United States cannot afford given its growing national debt of $34 trillion. They have repeatedly threatened to oust Johnson.
Rep. Bob Goode, chairman of the hawkish House Freedom Caucus, told reporters on Friday that the bills represent “a slide into a greater fiscal crisis and the end of America’s policies that reflect the policies of Biden, Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and does not reflect the American people.
But Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has huge influence in the party, expressed support for Johnson on April 12 and said in a social media post on Thursday that Ukraine’s survival was important to the United States.
The bill provides $60.84 billion to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, of which $23 billion is to replenish U.S. weapons, stockpiles, and facilities; provides $26 billion to Israel, of which $9.1 billion is for humanitarian needs, and $8.12 billion is for the Indo-Pacific region .
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