US House Passes $95 Billion Aid For Ukraine, Israel And Taiwan

The House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans, on Saturday approved the first of a package of $95 billion in security aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, despite bitter party objections. It has been more than two months since the Senate, controlled by Democrats, approved a similar bill, and leaders in Washington have been pressing Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to bring it to the floor.

This week, Johnson chose to ignore threats of ouster from hardliners in his party-controlled House, which has a razor-thin margin of 213 votes, and advanced the bill, which includes roughly $60.8 billion for Ukraine, as the country struggles to repel a Russian invasion that has lasted two years.

The four-page package also includes billions of dollars in aid to Israel, security aid for Taiwan and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as sanctions, a threatened ban on the Chinese-controlled social media platform TikTok, and the possible transfer of Russian assets seized in Ukraine. The bill that would impose the new restrictions on TikTok passed on Saturday for the first time.