The vote was 311-112. Notably, 112 Republicans opposed the bill, while only 101 voted in favor. The bill now moves to the Democratic-led U.S. Senate, which passed a similar measure more than two months ago.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to the media at the Capitol on April 20, 2024. Photo: Reuters
The US Senate will begin considering the bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Final passage is expected next week, after which it will go to President Joe Biden to sign into law.
The bills provide $60.84 billion to address the conflict in Ukraine, including $23 billion to replenish U.S. weapons, stockpiles and facilities; $26 billion for Israel, including $9.1 billion for humanitarian needs; and $8.12 billion for the Indo-Pacific.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude, saying US lawmakers had acted to keep "history on the right track".
“This comes at a time of great urgency, as Israel faces unprecedented attacks from Iran and Ukraine under sustained bombardment from Russia,” Biden, who has called on Congress to approve additional aid to Ukraine since last year, said in a statement.
The long-awaited passage of the legislation has been closely watched by US defense contractors, who could line up major contracts to supply military equipment to Ukraine and other US partners.
Some hard-line Republicans have spoken out strongly against continuing aid to Ukraine, arguing that the United States cannot afford its growing $34 trillion national debt.
They have repeatedly threatened to impeach House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was elected last October after his predecessor Kevin McCarthy was ousted by hard-liners in the Republican Party.
Representative Bob Good, head of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus, told reporters on Friday that the bills represent a “slide into the abyss of a larger financial crisis…”.
But Republican Donald Trump, a major influence in the Republican Party, backed Johnson on April 12. In a social media post on Thursday, he said Ukraine’s survival was important to the United States.
Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, CNN, AP)
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