Staff Reports
President Biden’s foreign aid package, which was recently passed by the Senate, has been met with mixed reactions among lawmakers. The $95 billion aid package includes significant support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Despite initial opposition from House Republicans, the package ultimately received bipartisan support in the Senate, passing with a vote of 79 to 18.
President Biden scored a major victory on Tuesday when the Democrat-led Senate heeded his long unanswered foreign aid request by passing the House's $95 billion foreign-aid package. https://t.co/QHVWHpGS4I
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) April 24, 2024
The aid package also includes sanctions against Russia, Iran, and China, as well as the House’s TikTok bill, which requires the Chinese-owned company ByteDance to divest from the video-sharing platform within a year. Additionally, the bill allocates $61 billion for Ukraine, $23 billion for Israel, and $9 billion for Taiwan to address Chinese aggression.
President Biden had initially proposed the aid package in October, but disagreements over tying border security to Ukraine aid led to delays in its passage. Ultimately, the House’s revamped bill for Ukraine aid, which included a loan for a portion of the funding and the use of seized Russian assets to cover another portion of the bill, swayed nearly a dozen Republicans in the House.
However, the aid package faced scrutiny from both Senate Republicans and Democrats. Some conservatives were against the bill because it did not include border security measures, while others expressed concerns about the lack of a clear strategy in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. On the other hand, Senator Bernie Sanders opposed sending more money to Israel over concerns about potential civilian casualties in Gaza.
Despite the division, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell viewed the package’s passage as a major victory. He noted that the success of the aid package marked a turning point in the isolationist movement and emphasized the discomfort of proponents of that stance when labeled as isolationist.
