US House of Representatives 'green lights' $95 billion foreign aid package

According to Reuters , after a bipartisan procedural vote on April 19 (local time), the US House of Representatives is almost certain to pass a $95 billion foreign aid bill, including $60 billion for the government in Kiev.

The vote on April 19 was 316-94, with 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voting in favor of the bill.

The April 19 vote passed the aid package by a margin of 316-94. (Photo: RT)

In addition to aid to allies, the bill includes provisions to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, sanctions targeting Hamas and Iran, and forcing China's ByteDance to sell its TikTok social media platform or face a ban in the US.

The bill provides more than $95 billion in security assistance, including $9.1 billion in humanitarian aid that Democrats have requested, along with $26.38 billion to “support Israel in its efforts to defend itself against Iran and its proxies” and more than $8 billion for U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific.

If passed by the House in a formal vote on April 20, the bill will move to the Senate for a vote and approval, before being sent to President Joe Biden to sign into law.

US President Joe Biden urged Congress to quickly pass the bills. “I will sign them into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends and we will not let Iran or Russia succeed,” he declared.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said after the vote that while it was not a “perfect bill,” it was “the best we could get” with Republicans’ slim majority in one chamber of Congress.

“The world is watching what Congress does,” the White House said in a statement. “Passage of this bill would send a powerful message of American leadership at a critical time.”

Some conservative lawmakers have opposed the aid to Ukraine, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has sent mixed messages on the issue. Some Democrats have also objected to some provisions in the bill, particularly on aid to Israel, and have pushed for more conditions on that assistance.

A day before the US House of Representatives voted on aid bills for Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Washington's new aid package for Kiev "will not change the situation on the battlefield".

Requested by US President Joe Biden in October 2023, the funding proposal has been stalled in the House of Representatives for months due to opposition from a group of majority Republicans.

Hoa Vu (Source: Reuters, RT)

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