The decisive bipartisan mandate for the long-delayed $95.3 billion relief package marked the culmination of a convoluted journey for the legislation on Capitol Hill. President Biden is anticipated to promptly endorse it.
WHAT WE KNOW
- President Biden worked hard for months to get the bill passed, and his efforts paid off when the Senate approved his $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
- Biden and his team actively sought the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson for six months. They used both public pressure and private conversations, even though they faced opposition from within their own party.
- The White House directly warned Johnson about the consequences of inaction for Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S. if Russia succeeded.
- Biden specifically directed his team to provide Johnson with detailed intelligence assessments on Ukraine’s battlefield situation and the national security implications for America
- This push played out over six months, beginning with a Situation Room briefing the day after Johnson became Speaker where dwindling Ukraine aid was highlighted
- The $95 billion package includes nearly $61 billion for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, overcoming domestic political headwinds from Republican opposition
Ukraine Aid Package Overcomes Hurdles, Heads to Biden’s Desk After Senate Approval
On Tuesday Night, the Senate overwhelmingly endorsed a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, dispatching it to President Biden and concluding months of uncertainty regarding the United States’ support for Kyiv amidst Russian aggression.
The vote emphasized the fact that there was strong bipartisan support for the bill that went through the House on Saturday with large majorities after taking a tortuous route in Congress and facing almost insurmountable pressure from conservatives, while the Senate’s decisive action in voting 79-18 is seen as a victory for President who urged lawmakers to expedite it for his immediate signature.
This marked the culmination of an extraordinary political narrative that raised doubts about whether the United States would maintain its prominent role in upholding the international order and promoting its values globally.
Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democrat from New York and majority leader, remarked on Tuesday, “Our allies across the globe have been observing Congress for the past six months, pondering the same question: When it truly matters, will America summon the fortitude to unite, transcend the divisive force of partisanship, and rise to the occasion? Tonight, in the presence of history, the Senate resoundingly answers in the affirmative.”
Mr. Biden stated in a release soon after the voting that he would go ahead and sign the bill into law “and talk to Americans right away when it gets on my desk tomorrow morning so that we can start giving Ukrain weapons and supplies this week.”
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He went on to say, “Congress has passed my legislation to enhance our national security which is intended to underscore America’s leadership role globally: We stand for democracy and freedom but not tyranny and oppression.”
The House divided the package into four components on Saturday: one for each of the three U.S. allies and an additional provision aimed at appeasing conservatives, which includes a clause that might lead to a nationwide prohibition of TikTok. It forwarded the legislation to the Senate as a unified package, requiring only a single vote for approval.
Speaker Mike Johnson structured the legislation in this manner in the House to circumvent vehement opposition from the right wing towards aiding Ukraine, thereby securing diverse coalitions of support without risking the entire package’s defeat. The majority of House Republicans opposed the aid for Kyiv.