U.S. Senate Debates Billions in Foreign Aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan

U.S. Senate Debates Billions in Foreign Aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan
U.S. Senate Debates Billions in Foreign Aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Credit | REUTERS

United States – Billions of dollars in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan are palpable in the Senate this week, but it waits for Senate approval. The House of Representatives has just canceled a month-long stalemate and also approved the same in a Saturday session.

Key Components of the Aid Package

The Senate will debate the package of four bills passed by the House on Tuesday: the fifth, with $61 billion for Ukraine; the second, with $26 billion for Israel; the third, with $8.12 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific; and the fourth, which includes the potential ban of the social media app TikTok and procedures to seize Russian assets and give them back to Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.

The Democratic-run Senate could pass the bill by late Tuesday and would then go to Biden, the Democratic president, for his signature, which he promised to provide quickly.

Such a decision could make the delivery of military aid to Ukraine possible immediately, thus improving the morale of the fighting nation whose soldiers are today battling the Russian invaders. With these weapons heading to Ukraine, the capital city of Kyiv is more likely to avert a massive Russian breakthrough in the east, according to analysts, but it still would have been better to give the aid sooner at Biden’s request last year.

There were doubts at the beginning as to whether money for Israel would change the fate of the Gaza-Israel conflict. Israel is now among the top recipients of the United States’ security assistance. The package constitutes humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza, where its well-wishers expect that it will help them.

The Israel bill was overwhelmingly approved by the House with 366 to 58. 21 Republicans and 37 Democrats opposed to this bill. The Republican’s “no” votes were from hardliners, who are usually against foreign aid. Democrats, who opted for a no vote, claimed that not enough was done to prevent the escalation of the humanitarian toll in Israel’s Gaza campaign as it retaliates for the Oct. 7th attacks by Hamas fighters, which turned out to be fatal for 1,200 people and resulted in around 250 others being taken hostage.

Potential Impacts and Political Dynamics

The aftermath of the Israeli military attack wherein Gaza health authorities have confirmed the death of about 34,000 people in Gaza.

Almost two months ago, the Senate, comprising 70 percent of its members, both Democrats and Republicans, approved security assistance for Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific region.

“The House has acted, now it’s the Senate’s turn, and the finish line is now in sight,” Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement after the House vote. “To our friends in Ukraine, to our allies in NATO, to our allies in Israel, and to civilians around the world in need of aid: rest assured America will deliver yet again.”

Assurance from the White House

U.S. President Joe Biden. Credit | Rawpixel

The White House clarified that Biden had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday. In that conversation, the US President pledged to provide Ukraine with the additional security assistance it so desperately requires to cover battlefield and air defense needs as soon as Biden signs the current supplemental spending bills.

The US Congress staffers said $8 billion has been allocated to Ukraine in the Presidential Drawdown Authorization as Biden can withdraw any equipment from US stocks and send it to Ukraine.

The House successfully passed the Ukraine funding by 311-112, with all 112 “no” votes coming from the Republicans, whose majority opposed the assistance to Kyiv. Insufficient support from Republicans ensued, and they needed Democratic votes, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson to request his resignation as the House leader, as reported by Reuters.

Nevertheless, the House did not vote to remove Johnson before adjourning for a week.