Some hardline Republicans have strongly opposed further aid to Ukraine
Washington:
The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives on Saturday passed the first of a series of bills in a $95 billion legislative package providing security aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, over bitter objections from party hardliners.
More than two months have passed since the Democratic-majority Senate passed a similar measure, and US leaders from Democratic President Joe Biden to Republican Mitch McConnell have urged embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson to to vote on it.
Johnson chose this week to ignore hardline threats from his fractious 218-213 majority and push through the measure that includes some $60.84 billion for Ukraine as it struggles to win a second year-long Russian invasion.
The unusual package of four bills also includes funds for Israel, security assistance for Taiwan and allies in the Indo-Pacific 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 bill imposing the new limits on TikTok was the first of four passed on Saturday.
“The world is watching what Congress does,” the White House said in a statement Friday. “Passage of this legislation would send a strong signal about the strength of American leadership at a crucial time. The Administration urges both houses of Congress to quickly send this additional funding package to the President's desk.”
A bipartisan House majority of 316-94 voted Friday to put the bill to a vote, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told senators to be ready to get to work this weekend if the House passes as expected to be passed by the House.
“It's not perfect legislation, it's not the legislation that we would write if Republicans were in control of the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House,” Johnson told reporters on Friday. “This is the best possible product we can get under these circumstances to meet these really important obligations.”
Some hardline Republicans have strongly opposed further aid to Ukraine, with some arguing the US cannot afford it given its rising $34 trillion national debt. They have repeatedly threatened to oust Johnson, who became chairman in October after his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted by party hardliners.
Rep. Bob Good, chairman of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, told reporters Friday that the bills represent a “slide into the abyss of a larger budget crisis and the latest America policies that Biden and Schumer and (Democratic Leader Hakeem) Jeffries reflect.” and does not reflect the American people.”
But Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has enormous influence in the party, expressed support for Johnson on April 12 and said in a social media post on Thursday that Ukraine's survival is important to the US.
The bills provide $60.84 billion to address the conflict in Ukraine, including $23 billion to replenish U.S. weapons, supplies and facilities; $26 billion for Israel, including $9.1 billion for humanitarian needs, and $8.12 billion for the Indo-Pacific.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
