After a long blockade US House of Representatives votes for billions in aid for Ukraine
April 20, 2024, 7:55 p.m Listen to article
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For months, Republicans blocked a billion-dollar aid package for Ukraine. Now the bill clears an important hurdle and passes the US House of Representatives. The MPs also approve new military aid for Israel.
After months of blockade, the US House of Representatives has approved a billion-dollar aid package with urgently needed arms supplies for Ukraine, which is under attack by Russia. The parliamentary chamber passed a corresponding bill that contains around 61 billion US dollars (57 billion euros) for Kiev. The bill passed with a bipartisan majority of 311 to 112 in the chamber, where Republicans have a razor-thin majority.
The necessary approval from the Senate is still pending, but is considered certain. After the vote, US President Joe Biden called on the Senate to act quickly. The Democrat announced that he would sign the law after approval by the second chamber of parliament. “At this critical turning point, they came together to answer the call of history,” Biden wrote of the House members who voted for the aid and thanked them.
There was applause in the plenary session after the vote. A number of MPs waved Ukrainian flags and shouted “Ukraine, Ukraine”. They were called to order. Numerous Republicans voted against the aid, but were unable to prevent its adoption with the help of US President Joe Biden’s Democrats. The Republicans have a razor-thin majority in the chamber. The vote could cost the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, his job. Several radical MPs loyal to former President Donald Trump opposed aid to Ukraine.
The package provides around $23 billion for expanding the US military inventory. The money therefore goes indirectly to Ukraine, as the USA usually supplies the country attacked by Russia with equipment from its stocks. The remainder is earmarked for further military support and financial assistance. The latter is designed as a loan. The text also states that US President Biden should provide Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missile systems “as soon as practicable”. Kiev has long hoped for the weapon system, whose missiles are fired from the ground at targets on the ground.
Support for Israel
The House of Representatives did not just vote in support of Kiev. Chairman Johnson put further packages up for vote. Another draft provides a good $26 billion for Israel. On the one hand, it is intended, for example, to finance Israel’s missile defense and the US’s ongoing military operations in the region. On the other hand, around nine billion US dollars are intended for humanitarian support, including for the people in the Gaza Strip. Around eight billion US dollars in support for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region and a text that envisages a sale of the Chinese short video app Tiktok as well as sanctions against Iran and the confiscation of Russian assets have already been accepted.
The Senate had actually already voted in February for a billion-dollar aid package requested by Biden. This also provided for billions in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. However, there was never a vote in the House of Representatives because an internal party power struggle was raging in the Republican-dominated chamber.
Johnson under pressure
Chairman Johnson is under a lot of pressure, especially from the right-wing fringe of his party. The hard-right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene submitted a first request for his deselection at the end of March, and two other members of the party later joined the party. For them, the vote on Ukraine aid is a red line. It remains to be seen whether Greene will actually push for a vote on Johnson’s removal. If she were to do so, Johnson would probably also have to rely on the support of the Democrats here because of the slim majority in the chamber. He could probably count on them, since they have been pushing for aid to Ukraine for months.
The USA is Ukraine’s most important ally in the fight against the Russian invasion. Since the war began in February 2022, President Biden’s administration has provided more than $44 billion in military aid to Kyiv. There are also billions more in non-military financial aid. According to the US government, the funds approved by Congress have been used up – which is why the vote on new aid is of great importance.
