House passes billions in aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House swiftly approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other US allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia's invasion.
With an overwhelming vote, the $61 billion in aid for Ukraine passed in a matter of minutes, a strong showing as American lawmakers race to deliver a fresh round of US support to the wartorn ally. Many Democrats cheered on the House floor and waved blue-and-yellow flags of Ukraine.
Aid to Israel and the other allies also won approval by healthy margins, as did a measure to clamp down on the popular platform Tiktok, with unique coalitions forming to push the separate bills forward. The whole package will go to the Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.
"We did our work here, and I think history will judge it well," said a weary Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA., who risked his own job to marshal the package to passage.
Biden spoke separately with Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to thank them for "putting our national security first" by advancing the legislation, the White House said.
"I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs," the president said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said he was "grateful" to both parties in the House and "personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track," he said on X, formerly Twitter. "Thank you, America!" he said. The scene in Congress was a striking display of action after months of dysfunction and stalemate fueled by Republicans, who hold the majority but are deeply split over foreign aid, particularly for Ukraine. Johnson relied on Democrats to ensure the military and humanitarian funding — the first major package for Ukraine since December 2022 — won approval.
The morning opened with a somber and serious debate and an unusual sense of purpose as Republican and Democratic leaders united to urge quick approval, saying that would ensure the United States supported its allies and remained a leader on the world stage. The House's visitor galleries were crowded with onlookers.
"The eyes of the world are upon us, and history will judge what we do here and now," said Rep. Michael Mccaul, R-texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Passage through the House cleared away the biggest hurdle to Biden's funding request, first made in October as Ukraine's military supplies began to run low.
The Gop-controlled House struggled for months over what to do, first demanding that any assistance for Ukraine be tied to policy changes at the Us-mexico border, only to immediately reject a bipartisan Senate offer along those very lines.