The House of Representatives will vote on Saturday on a package of foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that has been stalled for months.
A similar bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support in February, but Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, used a complicated plan to circumvent opposition from members of his own party. The bill has been divided into three parts, he added. A fourth bill to ease the agreement allowed them to merge again.
The strategy was designed to capitalize on a clear foundation of political support for different parts of the $95.3 billion foreign aid package and not allow opposition to any particular element to trump the whole. Mr. Johnson considered it necessary given his own waning majority and the large number of Republicans who were adamantly opposed to sending aid to Ukraine.
He relied on support from Democrats not only to win passage of funding for Kiev, but also to win Friday’s procedural vote needed to bring the bill to the floor. Mr. Johnson’s work includes:
The first vote was an “all or nothing” procedural measure.
The first and most important vote on the package took place Friday, before the aid was brought to the floor. It was based on measures known as rules, a standard procedure usually taken along partisan lines that dictated how debates and votes would proceed. But in this case, Mr. Johnson had to vote in favor of the Democrats because right-wing Republicans opposed it vigorously.
The rules allow for debate and separate votes on each of the package’s four parts and, if all pass, combine them into one bill. This means the House will never actually vote for or against the entire aid package.
The operation effectively divided aid to Israel and Ukraine on the House floor without actually dividing the two sides. This would allow lawmakers who strongly support aid to Israel (most Republicans and Democrats) to vote in favor of parts of the package. At the same time, those who oppose aid to Ukraine, like many right-wing Republicans, could do so.
Supporters of funding for Kiev, including most Democrats and many mainstream Republicans, could support the bill while voting against aid to Israel, as do some progressive Democrats. There is sex.
The strategy sets up rules for an all-or-nothing vote before lawmakers consider parts of the aid package on Friday, clearing a procedural hurdle almost as important as the bill itself. There is.
$60.8 billion to Ukraine
Military funding for Ukraine makes up the largest bill in the package, totaling $60.8 billion. Significant funding has been set aside to “replenish America’s defense stockpile,” with Ukrainian officials handing out billions of dollars to buy much-needed American defense systems for months.
The bill largely mirrors the Senate version, but adds a requirement for the Biden administration to send more U.S.-made missiles, known as long-range ATACMS, to Kyiv. The United States has previously supplied cluster bomb versions of the missile to Ukraine, but only after President Biden overcame years of reluctance to provide the weapons and the Pentagon secretly authorized the delivery.
It would also direct the president to seek repayment of $10 billion in economic aid, an initiative supported by former President Donald Trump, who has called for all aid to Kiev to come in the form of loans. ing. However, the president could also forgive these loans starting in 2026.
$26.4 billion to Israel, aid to Palestinians
The bill would send about $15 billion in military aid to Israel as it continues its offensive against Hamas and considers responding to attacks from Iran. Prioritizing defense capabilities, it has provided more than $5 billion to replenish the Iron Dome, David Sling, and Iron Beam defense systems. An additional $2.4 billion will be directed to ongoing U.S. military operations in the region.
Another $9 billion will be earmarked for “global humanitarian assistance,” including for civilians in Gaza. Like the Senate bill, the package would ban funding to UNRWA, the United Nations’ main agency that provides aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The package does not include conditions on military aid, as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers have increasingly called for forcing the Israeli government to adjust its military tactics in the Gaza Strip.
$8 billion for Taiwan and other allies
The third bill would provide $8 billion in aid to Taiwan to combat China. As the U.S. and Taiwanese governments continue to strengthen their alliance to deter Chinese aggression, the House bill would allow the Pentagon to quickly provide Taiwan with more offensive weapons and purchase advanced U.S. weapons technology. enable billions of dollars more to be provided to
sweetener bill
The fourth measure includes several Republican priorities laid out by Mr Johnson to drum up more support within the party for the aid package.
One idea would be to redirect funds from seized Russian assets to offset US aid to Ukraine. Republicans supporting the plan say it would ensure that Russian President Vladimir V. Putin takes financial responsibility for the war.
U.S. allies, including France and Germany, are skeptical about whether such a move is possible under international law. Instead, they are seeking a solution that would give the interest income from about $300 billion of frozen Russian assets directly to Ukraine in the form of loans or as collateral for borrowing money.
The bill would also impose sanctions on Iranian and Russian officials and further restrict exports of U.S. technology used to build Iranian drones.
It also includes legislation that would force the parent company of popular social media app TikTok to sell the platform or face a ban in the United States. This mirrors a bill the House passed last month. However, it includes an option to extend the sale deadline from the original six months to nine months, which the president could extend for another 90 days if progress is made toward the sale.
Alan Rapeport and katie edmondson Contributed to the report.
