US Senate passes $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

The United States Senate, on Tuesday (Feb 13), voted to pass a $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. However, the bill will likely not pass in the Republican-led House of Representatives as Speaker Mike Johnson rejected the bill as it was being written.

About the Senate vote

The lawmakers in the Democrat-led upper chamber of the US Congress approved the measure in a pre-dawn vote. The measure garnered 70 votes in favour and 29 against, well above the 60-vote threshold for passage and has been sent to the House.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

WATCH |US Senate advances $95 billion bill for aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

The vote took place before sunrise after eight hardline Republican opponents of sending more aid to Ukraine held an overnight marathon of speeches which went on for more than six hours. Notably, 22 Republican Senators voted in favour of the bill.

The bill also comes after President Joe Biden has been urging Congress for months now to pass the critical foreign aid bill, the lion’s share of which will help Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.

“It's certainly been years, perhaps decades, since the Senate has passed a bill that so greatly impacts not just our national security, not just the security of our allies, but the security of western democracy,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The legislation includes around $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel in its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas and nearly $5 billion to support US partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, and deter aggression by China.

AlsoRead|US Senate advances $95 billion Ukraine, Israel aid bill in rare Sunday session, despite Trump opposition

The bill also includes a little over $9 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank, and other conflict zones across the world.

Why would the bill fail in the House?

The bill requires the approval of both chambers of Congress before Biden can sign it into law. However, it is unclear whether Johnson would even hold a vote on the measure given that most House Republicans are opposed to further aid to Ukraine.

On Monday (Feb 12), as the $95 billion foreign aid package was still being formulated in the Senate, Johnson indicated that the Republican-led chamber would not take it up as it does not include provisions to address the record flow of migrants across the US-Mexico border.

“In the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters,” said Johnson, in a statement late Monday.

It added, “America deserves better than the Senate’s status quo.” This Speaker has previously suggested that the House could split the legislation into separate bills.

Less than a week ago, the $118 billion bipartisan bill that combined an overhaul of the country’s immigration policy and security measures at its border with Mexico with a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, was rejected by the members of Johnson’s own party in the Senate.

Senate Republicans were expected to block the bill amid opposition and pressure from former US President Donald Trump and members of their own party in the House of Representatives.

AlsoRead|Republicans in US Senate block Bipartisan bill on immigration, aid for Israel and Ukraine

After the recent Senate vote, most hardline Republicans predicted that the bill would be dead on arrival in the House.

Zelensky thanks Senators

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked US senators for passing the bill which would send $60 billion in aid for Kyiv on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Zelensky thanked Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and “every US Senator who has supported continued assistance to Ukraine as we fight for freedom, democracy, and the values we all hold dear.”

(With inputs from agencies)