US House passes $95 billion Ukraine, Israel aid package, sends to Senate

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Sat Apr 20, 2024, 02:13 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Reuters

April 20, 2024 2:03 PM EDT Updated 7 min ago


WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday with broad bipartisan support passed a $95 billion legislative package providing security assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, over bitter objections from Republican hardliners.

The legislation now proceeds to the Democratic-majority Senate, which passed a similar measure more than two months ago. U.S. leaders from Democratic President Joe Biden to top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell have been urging embattled Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring it up for a vote.

The Senate is expected to pass the measure next week, sending it to Biden to sign into law. A dozen or so Democratic lawmakers waved small Ukrainian flags as it became clear that element of the package was headed to passage. Johnson told lawmakers that was a "violation of decorum." Johnson this week chose to ignore ouster threats by hardline members of his fractious 218-213 majority and push forward the measure that includes some $60.84 billion for Ukraine as it struggles to fight off a two-year Russian invasion.

The unusual four-bill package 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 the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok and the potential transfer of seized Russian assets to Ukraine.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-vote-long-awaited-95-billion-ukraine-israel-aid-package-2024-04-20/

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Article updated.

Original article/headline -

US House passes first slice of $95 billion Ukraine, Israel aid package

April 20, 2024 1:17 PM EDT Updated 8 min ago


WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday passed the first in a series of bills in a $95 billion legislative package providing security assistance 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 U.S. leaders from Democratic President Joe Biden to top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell have been urging embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring it up for a vote. Johnson this week chose to ignore ouster threats by hardline members of his fractious 218-213 majority and push forward the measure that includes some $60.84 billion for Ukraine as it struggles to fight off a two-year Russian invasion.

The unusual four-bill package 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 the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok and the potential transfer of seized Russian assets to Ukraine. The bill imposing the new limits on TikTok was the first of the four to pass on Saturday.

"The world is watching what the Congress does," the White House said in a statement on Friday. "Passing this legislation would send a powerful message about the strength of American leadership at a pivotal moment. The administration urges both chambers of the Congress to quickly send this supplemental funding package to the president’s desk."

[RandomNumbers]

1. Getting aid to Ukraine right now is more important

than taking political advantage of GQP dysfunction.

I'm glad many reps on both sides have realized that.

[dutch777]

2. Exactly.

[RandomNumbers]

3. A subsequent thought : the dysfunction will still be there after these bills pass.

It may be even riper for the picking by then.

[dutch777]

4. Yes, no delusions that the GOP House has somehow fixed itself. Certainly a major point for Dems in campaigning.

[wendyb-NC]

14. Yes, Ukraine aid, should be the priority

The GQP house legislators have held this up, for months with all their convoluted games and bickering.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

5. MT Greene and Massie must be eating their faces right now,

how delicious is that?

[Initech]

9. Who wants a nice big frosty mug of MAGA tears?

[LakeArenal]

6. Zelensky must have been quite persuasive with Johnson.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

7. Last week when Johnson came out of his Intelligence briefing, he looked green around the gills,

he finally realized the full extent of the Russian threat to the US and the world and had a come to Jesus realization that it was vital to support Ukraine against tyranny despite what Moscow Marge and her sycophants were saying.

[Kingofalldems]

8. Traitor Trump and his MAGAts not liking this one.

[Cheezoholic]

10. MTG inside that building is a "violation of decorum" n/t

[BumRushDaShow]

12. And you get a BIG rec for that!

[chowder66]

11. It also has humanitarian relief for Palestinians, Sudanese and Haitians.

All who are facing severe food shortages and/or famine.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. 210 Democrats and 101 Republicans for Ukraine, 112 Republicans against

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/20/us-house-approves-61bn-aid-ukraine

So over half the House Republicans are in the pro-Putin camp now.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. I scanned the whole thread looking for the fact you provided. Thanks. And it is a disgrace

It is a disgrace that half the Republicon party are so unwilling to support the essence of freedom: freedom from brutal total domination by despots.

[littlemissmartypants]

17. Quote

By splitting the bill into four, Johson sought to give recalcitrant far-right members of his own GOP conference the opportunity to vote with their conscience on the parts they disliked.

What he also did here is put them on the record as the evil shits they all are for American history to immortalize.

Welcome to the law of unintended consequences.

❤️

[Hermit-The-Prog]

20. Damned House Russiapublicans.

This aid should have been voted on 2 months ago.

[Traurigkeit]

21. A Public Liat should go out to all citizens of the 112 Republicans that voted against helping Ukraine.

the creation and mailing should be a low cost figure.
OF course the R.N.C. will protest it.

[durablend]

16. Moscow Margie must be livid right now

Has she filed the motion to boot him out of the chair yet?

[Dulcinea]

18. She doesn't have the votes

...and she knows it.

[electric_blue68]

19. Thank goodness! Slava Ukraini!

[blue-wave]

22. I hesitated until now

to look for info on this issue. I was so expecting another disappointment. Very happy to see the aid packages passed, I hope it will all be enough for respective wins on all fronts.