Associated Press
The House is pushing swiftly through a series of votes in a rare Saturday session to approve $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, Democrats and Republicans joining together after a grueling monthslong fight over renewed American support for repelling Russia’s invasion.
With overwhelming support, the House approved the Ukraine portion, a $61 billion aid package, in a strong showing of American backing as lawmakers race to deliver a fresh round of U.S. support to the war-torn ally. Some lawmakers cheered, waving blue-and-yellow flags of Ukraine.
The $26 billion package aiding Israel and providing humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza also easily cleared. Each segment of the aid package faced an up-or-down vote. A national security bill that includes a provision forcing sale of the popular platform TikTok was quickly approved, as was another supporting Indo-Pacific allies.
The unusual process is allowing unique coalitions to form around the bills, pushing them forward. The whole package will go to the Senate, where passage in the coming days is nearly assured. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.
The weekend scene presented a striking display of congressional action after months of dysfunction and stalemate fueled by Republicans, who hold the majority but are deeply split over foreign aid, particularly for Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion. Speaker Mike Johnson, putting his job on the line, is relying on Democratic support to ensure the military and humanitarian package is approved, and help flows to the U.S. allies.
Passage through the House would clear away the biggest hurdle to Biden’s funding request, first made in October as Ukraine’s military supplies began to run low. The GOP-controlled House, skeptical of U.S. support for Ukraine, struggled for months over what to do, first demanding that any assistance be tied to policy changes at the U.S.-Mexico order, only to immediately reject a bipartisan Senate offer along those very lines.
Reaching an endgame has been an excruciating lift for Johnson that has tested both his resolve and his support among Republicans, with a small but growing number now openly urging his removal from the speaker’s office. Yet congressional leaders cast the votes as a turning point in history — an urgent sacrifice as U.S. allies are beleaguered by wars and threats from continental Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.
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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
16 comments
Dont Say FLA
April 20, 2024 at 3:27 pm
Whether or not anybody agree on this aid, good for Mike Johnson doing his job.
Shame on the G0P for being scared of dipsticks including but not limited to Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Donald J Trump, etc
Hung Wiil
April 20, 2024 at 5:52 pm
Wrong. This is pathetic. We have already sent $130+ BILLION to Ukraine since 2022 . . . and to what end? Extending and expanding the conflict. Why are liberal warmongers and country club Republicans so dedicated to an insane war and foreign policy? It’s all about the Benjamins Baby!!
Only Omar and the conservatives are standing up for an America First foreign policy, not one that extends the life of international conflict. And the only argument they’ve got: you guys are Putin lovers.
Absurd. Juvenile.
Dont Say FLA
April 20, 2024 at 6:09 pm
Okay, Lil, got you down on record with your position that somebody doing their job is wrong. Thanks for that.
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 8:05 pm
HUNG, some of us can see the big picture, some only worry about how much money is in their wallet. if i had ran my life that way, i would now be a retired bum with no money. the big picture requires sacrifice, your statement does not.
rick whitaker
April 21, 2024 at 10:27 am
HUNG, ARE YOU A RUSSIAN SYMPATHIZER?
Ocean Joe
April 21, 2024 at 6:59 pm
Always good to question the drain of taxpayer money, but “America First” as a foreign policy should be called what it is: isolationism, retreat, and capitulation in the face of an aggressive authoritarian gang.
It also misunderstands the importance of allies in this world, and as RICK points out, puts blinders on about the checkbook and a blindfold on about the future.
Putin is not our friend, nor is the Ayatollah. But the argument beyond Trump’s love of dictators and willingness to ignore their atrocities is AMERICAN BUSINESS. Since WW2 we have dominated the world. We have the standard of living to prove it and demand of the world resources to maintain it.
The projection of American military power, protection and cooperation with our allies large and small, makes it possible for American business to thrive around the world, protect trades routes, availability of imports, transport of exports. Russia will fill the vacuum abandoning Ukraine will create. China will look to muscle in on Taiwan.
I’d like to see the war end today, but pulling the rug from under Ukraine isnt the way to do it. Sweden and Finland joining NATO should tell you what you need to know about Russian intentions from folks in the neighborhood.
Earl Pitts "RON'S OFFICIAL "UNOFFICIAL VPOTUS CAMPAIGN MANAGER" American
April 20, 2024 at 3:48 pm
Good Afternoon America,
STAND BY FOR NEWS!!!!!
Politically things have gotten so bad in our Once Great Nation that we may actually need a First Strike on our homeland to bring us together to stand up and fight for Truth, Justice, and The American Way.
Why its so bad that we actually need American Boots On The Ground along with a few Nuclear Explosions to bring on WWIII as the only way to end America’s political divisions so we can come together as one Mighty Nation once again.
The ONLY thing that could save us at this point short of WWIII is to RE-ELECT Donald Trump.
8iden should resigne and Demand Donald Trump Take His Place by Monday Morn ‘Ting …. yeah America ….. that would work.
Earl Pitts American
rick whitaker
April 21, 2024 at 10:31 am
EARL, YOU AND TRUMP GO WELL TOGETHER.
Kathryn Schoen
April 20, 2024 at 6:22 pm
I don’t share any ideologies with Mike Johnson and we are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. And that’s just it! Kudos to Speaker Johnson for doing what’s right by doing his job. Democracy in action. I can only hope this paves the way for a more productive Congress. The extremists can follow Trump to hell.
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 8:00 pm
KATHYRN, i agree with your post about extremists, with one caveat, there is no hell, christians made that story up.
Richard D
April 20, 2024 at 7:03 pm
The Hamas attack is only the latest scuffle resulting from Israel’s multi-decade attempts to cleanse Palestinians from their homeland. A hidden reason for this dustup is the fact that Israel wants ownership of the gigantic Gaza Marine oil and gas field that’s offshore in Gaza’s region of the ocean. Potentially, Palestinians could be oil and gas rich. Israel denies that Palestine is a legitimate country or territory and therefore cannot have ownership of any offshore energy deposits.
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 7:39 pm
RICHARD D, tell us something that we don’t already. israel worships gold, so if there is money to be made, screw a few million people, we want that money. openminded people all know this. of course, this is the right wing israel i’m talking about.
Richard D
April 20, 2024 at 8:38 pm
The situation in Ukraine is a result of the 2014 “Euromaidan” “revolution,” a “color revolution” instigated by the U.S. State Department under the direction of State Department official, Victoria Nuland. In the coup d’etat, they replaced pro-Russia Ukraine president, Viktor Yanukovych, with a neo-Nazi government consisting primarily of the “Right Sector,” a neo-Nazi party of descendants of the Ukrainian Nazis (led by Stepan Bandera) who were ideologically aligned (anti-communist) with Hitler, against the USSR, during WWII. In essence, U.S. taxpayers are funding what amounts to a revival of Hitler’s war against the USSR, but this time the Nazis are fighting as proxies on behalf of Washington. Strange, but true.
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 10:56 pm
RICHARD D, we all know you are a quite stupid russian bot.
Andrew Finn
April 20, 2024 at 8:59 pm
Yep, here we go with business as usual. They can find billions and billions for foreign countries, but a ” big fat zero” for our own people. Our people continue to struggle with our skyrocketing cost of living here and our debt keeps climbing trillion by trillion — but let’s finance the rest of the world !!!!!!
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 10:52 pm
AF, trump gave a huge trillion dollar gift to corporations, which at the time had record profits. get real dude.