US: Senate Approves New Aid for ‘Israel’

By Staff, Agencies

The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday night to give final approval to a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, “Israel” and Taiwan, sending it to the US President Joe Biden.

The vote reflected resounding bipartisan support for the measure, which passed the House on Saturday by lopsided margins after a tortured journey on Capitol Hill, where it was nearly derailed by right-wing resistance.

The Senate’s action, on a vote of 79 to 18, provided a victory for the president, who had urged lawmakers to move quickly so he could sign it into law.

And it capped an extraordinary political saga that raised questions about whether the United States would continue to play a leading role in upholding the international order and projecting its values globally.

“Our allies around the world have been watching Congress for the last six months and wondering the same thing: When it matters most, will America summon the strength to come together, overcome the centrifugal pull of partisanship and meet the magnitude of the moment?” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said on Tuesday. “Tonight, under the watchful eye of history, the Senate answers this question with a thunderous and resounding ‘yes.’”

The House passed the package on Saturday in four pieces: a measure for each of the three US allies and another meant to sweeten the deal for conservatives that includes a provision that could result in a nationwide ban on TikTok. It sent the legislation to the Senate as a single package that required only one up-or-down vote to pass.

The components of the bill are nearly identical to one that passed the Senate with bipartisan support in February. It includes $60.8 billion for Ukraine; $26.4 billion for “Israel” and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific region.