A small part of the ongoing Unites States budget process.
- Click here for the article.
The House passed a sweeping $95 billion package Saturday to aid foreign allies amid global threats, showcasing broad support for America’s role in the world in a risky push by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), whose far-right flank is threatening to oust him for the action.
. . . The Senate is expected to consider the foreign aid measures early next week, and President Biden is expected to sign the package.
In a statement after Saturday’s votes, Biden credited the House for coming together “to answer history’s call, passing urgently needed national security legislation that I have fought for months to secure.”
. . . all Democrats present and a minority of Republicans broke a months-long legislative logjam and approved $60 billion in aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia. The vote was 311 to 112, with all those objecting coming from the most conservative wing of the GOP conference.
. . . It is also a major win for Johnson — despite the threats to his job — as he increasingly leads a coalition of more-mainstream House Republicans and Democrats in shepherding high-priority legislation to passage.
. . . Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) celebrated the development, saying the chamber “finally advanced this essential investment in the strength of our alliances and partnerships, the credibility of our commitments, and the capacity of our own armed forces to defend America and deter aggression.”
The House also overwhelmingly passed $26 billion in funding for Israel, which includes $9 billion in humanitarian aid, some of which will be allotted toward Gaza, during Saturday’s votes. The move comes days after Israel carried out a strike on Iran in retaliation for missiles and drones launched by Iran last weekend.
. . . Twenty-one Republicans opposed the bill, joining 37 Democrats, many of whom voted against the measure even though it contained humanitarian aid for Gaza because it strips funding for a U.N. agency capable of delivering the aid into the region. The United States defunded the U.N. Relief and Works Agency after U.S. intelligence and Israel found that 12 of the agency’s 13,000 Gaza employees participated in Hamas’s cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
. . . The House also overwhelmingly approved sending $8 billion to allies in the Indo-Pacific as they face threats from China, 385 to 34. All who voted against the measure were far-right Republicans.
The House also passed a measure full of bipartisan priorities, including potentially banning TikTok, seizing Russian assets to resell to Ukraine, and putting conditions on Ukraine aid that comes in the form of a loan.
For more:
- H.R.8035 - Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024.
- H.R.8034 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024.
- H.R.8036 - Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024.
- H.R.8038 - 21st Century Peace through Strength Act.
- What is a supplemental appropriation?
- Click here for more on the appropriations process.
For further inquiry: Who are the far right Republicans who have voted against these measures?
- House Republican infighting getting worse after foreign aid vote.
