The US Senate overwhelmingly approves providing massive security aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
On Tuesday, the US Senate approved a bill related to an aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan worth $95 billion after months of postponement.
The Council will then send the bill to US President Joe Biden for his signature into law.
The bill’s passage is a significant victory for the US president, Democrats in Congress and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who has long pushed to send aid to Ukraine even as the right wing of his party has increasingly retreated from its support for Kyiv.
The package links four bills that the House of Representatives voted on separately in a rare session on Saturday and provides nearly $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, more than $26 billion for Israel and more than $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region.
The first three bills are similar to the package passed by the Senate earlier this year, which House Speaker Mike Johnson initially refused to bring to the House floor.
The House of Representatives adopted the legislation after Johnson disagreed with conservatives in his party who opposed sending aid to Ukraine and threatened to impeach him over his handling of the issue.
Ultimately, a broad bipartisan majority sent the legislation out of the House.
Aid to Ukraine and Israel was halted after Republicans in the House and Senate demanded action on border security first, leading to months of negotiations in the Senate on a border package tied to foreign aid.
However, former US President Donald Trump opposed the final agreement, and Republicans ultimately ignored it.
McConnell, who has frequently broken with his party over his support for Ukraine, described Tuesday’s vote as “overdue… and a test we must not fail.”
For his part, Joe Biden praised the Senate’s approval of the foreign aid package, saying he would sign the bill.
Biden said in a statement: “I will sign this bill into law and will address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk so that we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week.”
He added: “There is an urgent need: for Ukraine, which faces continued bombing from Russia; for Israel, which has just faced unprecedented attacks from Iran; for refugees and those affected by conflicts and natural disasters around the world, including in Gaza, Sudan and Haiti; and for our partners.” Those who seek security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Biden also thanked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and the bipartisan group of representatives who voted in favour of the bill.
“This important legislation will make our nation and our world safer while supporting our friends who defend themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” Biden said.
