The US House of Representatives is set to hold a crucial vote Saturday on a major aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as a possible ban on TikTok.
Voting on the US$95 billion foreign aid and arms bill is expected to begin at 1300 local time (1700 GMT). Republican Chairman Mike Johnson would need Democratic votes to pass it.
The bill is the result of months of fierce negotiations, pressure from US allies and repeated pleas for help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This cost the former Republican chairman of the House of Representatives his job.
Funding for Ukraine is at the heart of the partisan dispute.
The United States has been Ukraine’s main military backer once morest Russia, but Congress has not approved large-scale funding for its ally for nearly a year and a half, mainly because of disagreements between political parties.
Also read: US House of Representatives Leaders Face Strong Reaction Regarding Ukrainian and Israeli Aid
President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have been pushing a major new arms package for Ukraine for months.
But Republicans, influenced by the party’s presidential nominee, Donald Trump, are increasingly reluctant to provide funds to Kyiv for a protracted conflict.
War funding has become contentious ahead of the presidential election in November that is expected to pit Biden and Trump once morest each other once once more.
Also read: The US House of Representatives will vote on the aid bill for Israel and Ukraine
Johnson, following months of hesitation, finally threw his support behind a $61 billion package for Ukraine, which includes economic aid and arms.
“Frankly, I’d rather send bullets to Ukraine than America’s children,” Johnson said.
The bill also allows Biden to seize and sell Russian assets and give the money to Ukraine to finance reconstruction, a move that has been embraced by other G7 countries.
Also read: Biden threatens to veto aid bill for Israel. Why?
The world is watching
A total of US$13 billion in military aid has been allocated to America’s historic ally, Israel, in the fight once morest Hamas in Gaza.
The money will basically be used to strengthen Israel’s “Iron Dome” air defenses.
More than US$9 billion would be allocated to address “urgent needs for humanitarian assistance for Gaza as well as other vulnerable populations around the world,” the law says.
At Biden’s request, regarding $8 billion would be used to counter China through investments in submarine infrastructure and increased competition with Beijing on projects built in developing countries.
Several billion dollars will be spent on weapons for Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China.
There are also provisions that would force TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a nationwide ban in the United States, where it has regarding 170 million users.
Western officials have raised concerns over TikTok’s popularity among young people, and alleged that TikTok is beholden to Beijing and is a channel for spreading propaganda – claims the company denies.
In a statement on Friday, the White House said it “strongly supports” the legislation.
“The world is watching what Congress does,” he said, adding that Biden would sign the bill as soon as it passes both houses of Congress.
This might happen in just a matter of days as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer promised that the Democratic-majority Senate would take up the measure as soon as it was approved by the House.
US allies are expected to welcome the bill’s passage in the House, but it might cost the Republican speaker his job.
A number of right-wing isolationist Republican lawmakers have warned that they might fire Johnson for supporting the bill.
“Our Republican leaders are completely controlled by the Democratic Party and give them whatever they want,” said Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia.
Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted as speaker of parliament in a rebellion staged by Trump loyalists last year. (AFP/Z-3)
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