After six months of navigating through election-year politics and the looming threat of a House leadership coup, Congress has finally passed a much-anticipated foreign aid bill worth $95 billion. This bill holds significant global implications.
The legislation also encompasses a provision that would require TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell off its ownership of the social media app or risk being effectively banned in the United States. While in the House, lawmakers voted on each provision separately, in the Senate, they had to cast a single vote for or against all the provisions combined.
President Joe Biden emphasized the importance of the legislation on Tuesday, describing it as critical and urgently needed. He expressed his commitment to signing it into law.
The vote on Tuesday marks the end of a prolonged discussion in both chambers of Congress, highlighting the evolving perspectives within the GOP regarding America’s global responsibilities. This debate has led to a division between Republican leaders, their own party members, and even former President Donald Trump, who has become a significant influence within the party.
A significant number of Republicans in both the Senate and the House of Representatives opposed providing aid to Ukraine, despite the country’s ongoing struggle against a Russian invasion since February 2022. Those against further assistance argue that the United States has already fulfilled its obligations to Ukraine and that taxpayer funds would be better allocated to domestic issues or reducing the nation’s substantial $1.5 trillion budget deficit.
Supporters of foreign aid presented it as a strategic investment to prevent the country from entering a war. The idea was that a successful outcome in Ukraine would discourage Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking European allies, which the United States is obligated to protect under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Eventually, their arguments convinced lawmakers from both parties, leading to the passage of the aid.
“This is a significant day for the United States and a crucial day for countries that value freedom worldwide,” McConnell stated on Tuesday, highlighting the challenges faced by Republicans in rallying support for Ukraine. However, he remains optimistic that progress is being made in the right direction.”
“I believe that we have surpassed the peak of the isolationist movement,” he expressed. “We have undoubtedly made substantial strides, and it is imperative that we persist in our efforts, considering the significant challenges we face from countries like China, Russia, and Iran. In fact, one could argue that the current period is even more arduous than the pre-World War II era.”
Despite having previously voted against the package in February, ten Senate Republicans showed their support for the legislation by voting in its favor.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., joined a group of conservative senators who collaborated with former President Donald Trump and Republican leadership in both chambers to develop a package that would garner broader support from Republicans.
According to him, making provisions to turn the $9.5 billion aid to Ukraine into a loan instead of a grant and using Russian foreign assets to support Ukraine’s fight were included in the plan.
In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized the significance of Ukraine’s well-being for the United States, highlighting the importance of supporting Ukraine despite historical doubts about providing aid to the country.
According to Mullin, he believes that Trump played a significant role in the success of their efforts. He stated that Trump’s involvement helped raise awareness and provided political support for their cause.
House Speaker Mike Johnson initially opposed the foreign aid package but ultimately took on a crucial role in pushing the legislation forward, even at the risk of his position. Several conservative lawmakers have threatened to remove him from office, as they did with former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, due to his decision to bring a government spending bill to a vote in the House to avoid a shutdown. This threat remains a possibility when the House reconvenes after a weeklong recess on Monday.
When Johnson became the speaker after McCarthy’s removal, he initially opposed providing more funding for Ukraine. However, after receiving several intelligence briefings and engaging in discussions with various factions within his conference, his perspective underwent a significant change in recent weeks.
In a straightforward manner, Johnson expressed his preference for sending bullets to Ukraine rather than risking the lives of American boys. His own son is set to start at the Naval Academy soon, making the situation a live-fire exercise for both him and many other American families. He emphasized the seriousness of the matter, stating that it is not a game or a joke.
A border battle and mounting pressure
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In mid-October, Biden made an initial request for the funding, shortly after Hamas launched an invasion on Israel and initiated a series of retaliatory strikes in Gaza. The call was for the United States to show support for its allies during this critical period.
Republicans insisted on comprehensive border security reforms as a condition for their support. In the Senate, a bipartisan working group successfully negotiated a deal that incorporates the most significant changes to immigration policy in decades.
During his journey to secure the 2024 GOP nomination for president, Trump criticized the proposal, stating that it was inadequate. Johnson confidently declared that it would never gain approval in the House, while Senate Republicans voted against it. Eventually, the upper chamber passed the foreign aid plan in February, but without including the border provisions.
When the bill arrived in the House, Republicans once again insisted on including border security provisions. As a result, they delayed the advancement of the foreign aid bill for several months while Johnson tried to persuade the Senate to consider the House’s stringent border bill.
Johnson was under increasing political pressure to take action from both Democrats and moderate Republicans. There was a looming threat of a backdoor approach to force a vote, which added to the urgency of the negotiations. Additionally, Johnson found himself at odds with the other three congressional leaders, including Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who saw passing Ukraine aid as an important part of his legacy.
The deal was sealed with the help of the Biden administration’s intelligence briefings, which also included a loan modification.
Israel, Gaza divide Democrats
In the midst of internal conflicts within the Republican party, Democrats also found themselves navigating through their own divisions.
A group of progressive lawmakers opposed providing further assistance to Israel, citing the high number of Palestinian civilian casualties and the severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip caused by the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Democrats became increasingly frustrated with the administration’s handling of Israel, reaching a breaking point after seven aid workers were killed in a recent strike. The calls for conditioning aid to Israel, including stipulations on its usage and enforcing consequences for any violations, grew stronger.
Only about one third of the House Progressive Caucus voted against the funding for Israel in the House because it did not include any additional conditions. In total, thirty-seven progressive Democrats took this stance.
“I am fully in favor of many aspects of this proposal. It is crucial that we provide aid to Ukraine, and I wholeheartedly support the inclusion of humanitarian assistance. Additionally, I even back the TikTok provision,” expressed Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in an interview with USA TODAY. “However, we cannot ignore the dire conditions in Gaza. While I am supportive of providing defensive aid to Israel, I cannot endorse sending more bombs when the current warfare tactics in Gaza are resulting in significant civilian casualties. Furthermore, the restrictions on aid are exacerbating the already severe famine crisis.”
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