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The U.S. House of Representatives passed four bills in a $95 billion foreign aid package brought to a vote by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Saturday afternoon with strong resistance by republican conservatives.
The four bills include: $60 billion in aid to Ukraine; $17 billion for Israel for offensive and defensive weapons plus just over $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza; $8.1 billion in funding for the Indo-Pacific region to counter China; and a measure that could force TikTok to cut ties with its parent company or face a nationwide ban.
The House miserably failed to approve a fifth bill of particular priorities to not only republicans House members, but millions of Americans who want the Biden administration's failed immigration border policy shutdown becaues it has led to chaos in major cities and rural areas where the illegal immigrants have been sent, an increase in human trafficking as a domestic policy that lays at the feet of the Biden administration, an increase in crime, the increase in unaccompanied children that have been trafficked and smuggled into the U.S., and the threat to US national security.
Americans overwhelmingly are concerned about Biden's failed border and immigration policy.
For the border bill to be included in the foreign aid package that measure had needed the support of two-thirds of the House since it was moving under a different process. The other bills in the foreign aid package only needed a simple majority.
President Biden praised the House members after its passage for answering "history’s call, passing urgently-needed national security legislation that I have fought for months to secure."
The passage, “comes at a moment of grave urgency” for Israel and Ukraine and contains “desperately needed humanitarian aid” that it will “bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” said the president in a statement released by the White House.
The measure “demonstrates strong bipartisan support for Israel and defends Western civilization,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant thanked Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for their “bold leadership in passing critical aid for Israel.”
European leaders also have weighed in on the package’s passage as well.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk took to social media. He thanked Johnson on X, then wrote: “Better late than too late. And I hope it is not too late for Ukraine.”
E.U. Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, who had urged Congress to act on the bill, took to social media also.
“Ukraine will have the transatlantic support it needs to stand up to Russian aggression,” he tweeted on X.
The foreign aid package will now be delivered to the U.S. Senate, where it will be voted on before it can be sent to President Biden.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY)) adjourned the US Senate on Saturday until Tuesday when the first senate vote next week will be on the $95 billion foreign aid package that afternoon.
Last week was very contentious in the House when the border bill failed to be part of the overall package. The House votes for the border bill was two-thirds of the chamber while the other bills in the package called for only a simple majority.
To avoid a defeat of the foreign aid package moving forward without the border bill included in the package, democrats set in motion votes to support Speaker Johnson's decision to bring the bill to a vote on Saturday without the border bill included. The chamber voted 316-94 on Friday to advance the Saturday package vote.
Procedural votes such as Friday's are typically passed by the House majority alone, but Democrats stepped in to help push the legislation forward after Republican hard-liners collectively opposed the measure. More Democrats voted to advance the bills than Republicans.
Leaving the House floor after the vote on Friday, Johnson said the four foreign aid bills are “the best possible product” under the circumstances. "We look forward to final passage on the bill tomorrow," which is what happened.
The measures are similar to legislation passed by a bipartisan group in the Senate back in February, which tied all aid together into one measure.
“Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan are on the frontlines of the struggle to preserve democracy around the world,” said Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) during debate. “In the case of Ukraine and Israel, these two nations are quite literally in harm’s way.”
Pressure increased on lawmakers to pass aid after Iran's attacks on Israel last weekend.
Republicans are angry at Speaker Johnson and what lies ahead for his speakership may be looming on the horizon.
Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ) announced after Friday's vote his support for the motion to vacate the speaker's chair first introduced by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month. In a statement, Gosar expressed frustration with moving ahead on aid to Ukraine rather than providing resources to the souther border.
"We need a Speaker who puts America first rather than bending to the reckless demands of the warmongers, neo-cons and the military industrial complex making billions from a costly and endless war half a world away,” Gosar said.
Three Republicans supporting a motion to vacate would be enough to remove Johnson, unless Democrats decide to help defend the Republican speaker.
“I’m concerned that the speaker’s cut a deal with the Democrats to fund foreign wars rather than to secure a border,” Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) stated.
Earlier this past week Massie called on Johnson to resign and joined Greene's motion to vacate.
Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) took issue with "another $100 million to fund war, unpaid for, with zero border security -- under a rule which Republicans should oppose because it is a process predesigned to achieve a desired predetermined outcome, with no border security."
“Zelensky thanks Speaker Mike Johnson (D-Ukraine) for sending $61 BILLION of your hard-earned tax dollars to fuel a foreign war,” Greene said in a Saturday post on X. “Johnson once again passed a bill with the help of Democrats while the majority of the Republican majority voted against it. Not only is Mike Johnson a traitor to our conference, he’s a traitor to our country.”
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