The Senate overwhelmingly gave final approval Tuesday night to a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending it to President Biden, ending months of debate over whether the U.S. will continue to support Kiev in its fight against Russia. ended the long-standing uncertainty. Invasion.
The vote reflected overwhelming bipartisan support for the bill, which passed the House by a wide margin on Saturday after an ordeal on Capitol Hill and nearly being derailed by resistance from the right. . The Senate’s action, by a vote of 79-18, was a victory for the president, who had urged lawmakers to act quickly so he could sign the bill.
And it capped an extraordinary political saga that raised questions about whether the United States will continue to play a leading role in defending the international order and projecting its values to the world.
“Allies around the world have been watching Congress for the past six months and are wondering the same thing. At a time when it matters most, America must join forces to stand together and overcome partisan centrifugal forces. , can we handle this critical moment?” Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said Tuesday. “Tonight, under the watchful eye of history, the Senate will answer this question with a resounding ‘yes.’
In a statement minutes after the vote, Biden signed the bill into law and said, “As soon as it hits my desk tomorrow, I’m going to call on the American people to start sending arms and equipment to Ukraine this week. “It will be.”
“Congress passed my bill to strengthen our national security and send a message to the world about the power of American leadership. We firmly support democracy and freedom and oppose tyranny and oppression.” Stated.
The House passed the bill in four parts on Saturday. One measure against each of the three U.S. allies, and the other softens the deal for conservatives and includes provisions that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. The bill was sent to the Senate as a single package, requiring only his single yes or no vote for passage.
Speaker Mike Johnson, facing fierce opposition from the right to support for Ukraine, pushed the bill through the House in this way to garner a diverse coalition of supporters, not allowing opposition to any one element to defeat the whole thing. was configured. A majority of House Republicans opposed aid to Kiev.
The bill’s components are almost identical to the bill that passed the Senate with bipartisan support in February. This includes $60.8 billion for Ukraine. $26.4 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in conflict zones, including Israel and Gaza. and $8.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific region.
In addition to a package of relief measures, including new sanctions on Iranian and Russian officials, the House added a provision directing the president to require the Ukrainian government to repay $10 billion in economic aid. This was a nod to former President Donald J. Trump’s call for more aid to Kiev to be turned into a loan. However, the bill allows the president to forgive these loans starting in 2026.
Nine Republicans who opposed the aid bill passed by the Senate in February now supported the bill. After Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin changed his vote Tuesday and agreed to move forward with the bill this time, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, gave him a thumbs-up on the Senate floor. .
“Seventy-five percent of the bill, the total funding, stays in the United States,” Marin told Newsmax, explaining his support for the bill. “That’s what many people don’t realize. This also applies to our defense industry. This goes towards replenishing ammunition.”
Fifteen far-right Republican senators who oppose aid to Ukraine voted against the bill. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, one of three Republicans who opposed the bill but did not vote for final passage, said Congress had “no chance of a positive outcome. “We are urgently seeking more funding for the war effort.”
“Pouring more money into Ukraine’s coffers will only prolong the conflict and cause more loss of life,” Tuberville said. “No one at the White House, the Pentagon, or the State Department can articulate what victory in this battle looks like. When we sent the first aid over two years ago, they We should work together with Ukraine and Russia to negotiate an end to this madness.”
Three liberals, Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Peter Welch of Vermont, and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also opposed the bill. They said they could not support sending more offensive weapons to Israel at a time when the government’s operation in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of people and triggered a hunger crisis there.
“We are now in an absurd situation where Israel is using U.S. military aid to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to the Palestinians,” Sanders said. “If that’s not weird, I don’t know what is. But it’s also a clear violation of U.S. law. Given that reality, we shouldn’t be having discussions like this today. It is illegal to continue the current military aid to Israel, much less transfer another $9 billion without conditions.”
But a majority of senators from both parties supported the bill, and Senate leaders viewed its passage as a victory, especially given the growing opposition to aid to Ukraine in the House.
For months, Mr. Johnson and right-wing House Republicans have refused aid to Ukraine unless Mr. Biden agrees to tough measures to curb migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. When Senate Democrats agreed to a bill this year combining aid and provisions to strengthen border security, Trump denounced it and Republicans quickly rejected it.
The Senate then passed its own $95 billion emergency aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan without any immigration measures, increasing political pressure on the House to do the same. For weeks, the message from Mr. Schumer and Mr. McConnell to Mr. Johnson was the same: Pass the Senate bill.
In wide-ranging remarks on the Senate floor ahead of Tuesday’s vote, McConnell said Congressional approval of the aid package was “a test of America’s resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead.” He rebuked opponents within the party and criticized those who “indulge in fantasies of pulling up the drawbridge.”
“Make no mistake: delays in providing Ukraine with weapons to defend itself complicate our prospects for defeating Russian aggression,” McConnell said. “Hesitation and hesitation are exacerbating the challenges we face. Today’s action is overdue, but our work is far from over. Confidence in America’s resolve will be rebuilt overnight. Expanding and replenishing the arsenal of democracy does not happen by magic.
Ukrainian officials welcomed the impending passage of the bill.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, head of Ukraine’s parliament, expressed his gratitude to the United States and all members of the Duma who supported the Ukraine aid bill, posting on social media a photo of the members raising the American flag inside the chamber in Kiev. Stated. We look forward to a similar decision from the Senate. ”
“The United States is and will continue to be a strategic partner alongside the Ukrainian people in the fight against the Russian aggressor!” Stefanchuk added.
The photo was reminiscent of the scene on Saturday when Democrats waved miniature Ukrainian flags on the House floor as they voted in favor of the aid bill. Johnson and other Republicans called it a breach of decorum and rebuked them, saying only the American flag should be flown in the chamber.
Lara Jakes I contributed a report from Rome.
