US aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan passed by Senate

It took more than 60 votes out of a possible 100 for the bill to pass. More than a dozen Republican senators and almost all Democratic Party senators supported the bill. The law was passed with 70 votes in favor and 29 against. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives. If passed by it, it will reach the desk of the president Joe Biden.

- 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 - Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, as report Reuters.

For several months, President Joe Biden has been pressing Congress to expedite the provision of new assistance to Ukraine and U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan. Following the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, he also sought additional funding for this U.S. ally, as well as humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people in Gaza.

According to Reuters, the legislation includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel in its war against Hamas and $4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, and deter aggression by China. It would also provide $9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine and other conflict zones around the globe.

Republicans have long insisted that discussions on foreign aid be linked with measures to address the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border. However, a bipartisan deal concerning the border was largely dismissed by Senate Republicans following objections from Donald Trump. The former president has argued that assistance to U.S. allies should be provided as loans rather than grants. Consequently, provisions related to border issues were stripped from the legislation last week, leaving the bill focused solely on foreign financial assistance.

Source: Reuters