Congress Approves Bill Providing Foreign Aid to Ukraine and Israel

A comprehensive foreign aid package was swiftly approved by the U.S. Congress late on Tuesday after a long delay, paving the way for new funding for Ukraine amidst Russia’s advancing invasion force and Kyiv’s military supply shortages.

The Senate easily passed four bills that were previously approved by the House of Representatives last Saturday, with House Republican leaders changing course to allow a vote on the $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific.

The Senate combined the four bills into one package.

The largest portion of the aid package provides $61 billion for Ukraine, the second part includes $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for conflict zones globally, and the third allocates $8.12 billion to counter communist China in the Indo-Pacific region.

A fourth bill, added by the House last week, includes measures such as a potential ban on TikTok, provisions for transferring seized Russian assets to Ukraine, and sanctions on Iran.

President Biden is set to sign the measure once it reaches his desk, with the administration preparing a $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine from the funds provided in the bill, according to two U.S. officials.

Leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties in the Senate believe that the aid package signals strong support for Ukraine and other foreign allies despite facing threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin and other adversaries.

This aid package may be the last one approved for Ukraine until after the November elections, when the White House, House of Representatives, and a third of the Senate seats will be contested.

Opposition to the aid package from both the House and Senate has primarily come from Republicans with close ties to former President Donald Trump, who has been skeptical of aid to Ukraine and focused on “America First” policies.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell expressed regret over the delay in providing aid to Ukraine, mostly due to objections from hardline Republicans who feel the authorized $113 billion for Kyiv since Russia’s invasion had been sufficient.

The aid package includes $10 billion in economic support for Ukraine, partially in the form of a loan that the president can forgive from 2026 onwards.

HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS

The influx of weapons is expected to improve Ukraine’s defense against Russian forces, though experts suggest that the aid would have been more beneficial if provided when requested by President Biden last year.

The impact of the aid for Israel on the conflict in Gaza remains unclear, as Israel already receives significant U.S. security assistance but has recently faced direct attacks from Iran.

Supporters of the aid hope it will also benefit Palestinians in Gaza, who have suffered from Israel’s recent military actions against Hamas.

Earlier this year, the Senate passed a similar aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific with bipartisan support, but the House delayed a vote until last week.

The progress of the legislation has been closely monitored by defense firms expecting major contracts to supply equipment to Ukraine and U.S. partners.

Industry experts anticipate that companies like RTX Corp along with Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman will see an increase in their order backlog due to the supplemental spending.

The House passed the Ukraine funding with a vote of 311-112, with all opposing votes coming from Republicans. Speaker Mike Johnson relied on Democratic support as many Republicans were against further aid for Ukraine, leading to calls for his removal as House leader.

Despite this, the House went on a week-long recess without voting to remove Johnson as Speaker.