US House members approved laws on Saturday to give important help to Ukraine and Israel, as well as strengthen Taiwan. They also threatened to ban TikTok if it doesn't separate from Beijing.
The bills, which were passed in an unusual Saturday session, were quickly approved with strong support from both parties. However, this has raised uncertainty about the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson as he tries to defend himself against angry far-right opponents.
US President Joe Biden expressed his approval of the votes, stating in a message that they would “provide essential support to Israel and Ukraine; offer much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and other areas… and enhance security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”
He commended the lawmakers who came together across party lines “to respond to the demands of history.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also welcomed the long-delayed aid package, saying the military and economic assistance would “save thousands and thousands of lives.”
Predictably, Russia had a different opinion.
“It will further enrich the United States of America and ruin Ukraine even more, by killing even more Ukrainians because of the Kyiv regime,” said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as reported by the state news agency TASS.
The US Senate could consider the bill as early as Tuesday, according to the chamber’s Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. If approved by the Senate, the measure would then be sent to Biden for his signature.
The bills are the result of lengthy and bitter negotiations, pressure from US allies, and repeated requests for help from Zelensky.
The United States has been the main military supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, but Congress has not approved significant funding for its partner for almost a year and a half, largely due to disagreements between the political parties.
Biden and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have been advocating for a substantial new weapons package for Ukraine for months.
However, Republicans, influenced by the party’s presidential candidate Donald Trump, have been hesitant to provide funding to Kyiv for the protracted conflict.
The financing of the war has become a contentious issue ahead of the upcoming presidential election in November, which is expected to once again pit Biden against Trump.
After months of hesitation, Johnson finally threw his support behind the $61 billion package for Ukraine.
“To be direct, I'd prefer to send ammunition to Ukraine than American soldiers,” Johnson stated.
The small group of far-right Republicans who had threatened to oust Johnson if he pushed for the Ukraine vote seemed to step back on Saturday, at least for the time being.
“I’m going to let my colleagues return home and listen to their constituents’ voices” on their frustration about the vote, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said on CNN.
The Ukraine bill also enables Biden to seize and sell Russian assets and use the money to finance reconstruction in Ukraine, a move supported by other G7 nations.
– Will TikTok be banned? –
At Biden’s request, around $8 billion under one bill would be allocated to counter China by investing in submarine infrastructure and enhancing competition with Beijing on projects developed in developing countries.
Several billion dollars will be allocated for weapons for Taiwan, the self-governed island that is claimed by China.
The first of the bills passed on Saturday would require TikTok to sell off from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban in the United States, where it has about 170 million users.
Western officials have expressed concern about the popularity of TikTok among young people, alleging that it is under the control of Beijing and a channel to spread propaganda — an assertion denied by the company.
TikTok strongly criticized the bill, stating it “would infringe on the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate seven million businesses, and close a platform that contributes $24 billion to the US economy annually,” a TikTok spokesman said.
A total of $13 billion in military aid has been designated for America’s long-standing ally Israel in its conflict against Hamas in Gaza.
The funds will primarily be used to strengthen Israel’s Iron Dome air defenses.
Over $9 billion will be set aside to address “the urgent need for humanitarian assistance for Gaza as well as other vulnerable populations around the world,” the legislation says.
Officials from NATO, the European Union, and Germany welcomed the approval of the Ukraine bill in the House.
AFP
