After months of delays, the US House of Representatives has approved more than $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine to support its defense against Russian aggression, along with billions for other allies, including Israel and Taiwan.
The bipartisan vote saw 210 Democrats and 101 Republicans backing the aid package, with 112 Republicans voting against it.
This vote came after the new Republican Speaker, Mike Johnson, pushed a series of bills through the House amid internal resistance from his own party.
A majority of GOP members have opposed additional funding for Ukraine.
The Senate will start considering the bill, with preliminary votes scheduled for Tuesday.
If the bill passes, it will head to President Joe Biden for approval.
The extraordinary session took place on a Saturday, delaying the House’s recess plans.
The passage of the Ukraine bill was met with applause, but members were asked not to wave Ukrainian flags.
Former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a passionate appeal before the vote, stating, “I hope our colleagues will choose democracy and decency rather than autocracy and evil because I fear if you choose the Putin route, you will have blood on your hands, the blood of the children, the blood of their mothers raped in front of their parents, raped in front of their children.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude after the House’s approval, thanking both parties and Speaker Mike Johnson for their decision.
He highlighted the importance of US support for Ukraine’s defense and said that without it, the country “will lose the war.”
Zelensky noted that the bill’s passage is crucial to maintaining stability and preventing the conflict from escalating further.
The approved package also includes funding for other allies, such as Israel and Taiwan.
The House passed a separate bill for additional aid to Israel, with 365 votes in favor and 57 against.
By splitting the bills, Speaker Johnson allowed GOP members to vote according to their conscience on different aspects of the package.
The total funding in the package is close to $95 billion, with about $61 billion for Ukraine, much of which will go toward replenishing American munitions.
Additionally, $26 billion is allocated for Israel, $8 billion for allies in the Indo-Pacific region, and $9 billion for humanitarian aid in various conflict zones.
There are also provisions for increased sanctions on Iran and a forced sale of the Chinese social media app TikTok.
Johnson’s approach to passing these bills, relying on Democratic support, has angered some hard-right Republicans, leading to threats to oust him from the Speaker position.
Despite this, he remains resolute in his support for Ukraine, stating, “I am going to allow an opportunity for every single member of the House to vote their conscience and their will…
I’m willing to take a personal risk for that because we have to do the right thing.”
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