US Senate Passes $95.3bn Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan Aid Package

The US Senate, early Tuesday, passed a bi-partisan $95.3bn aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

The passage of the the package is coming after months of protracted negotiations amidst divisions in the Republican Party over US role abroad.

In particular, the vote is coming after a group of Republicans opposed to the $60bn Ukrainian aid attempted to stall proceedings after holding the senate floor through the night, with the final hours of the night deployed to argue that the U.S. should pay more attention to its domestic issues than sending more money abroad.

However, 22 other Republicans voted with almost all Democrats to earn a 70-29 majority for the package.

In the main, supporters of the aid package argued that abandoning Ukraine could send wrong signals to Russia, particularly to the effect that it might embolden President Vladimir Putin and ultimately threaten national security.

“With this bill, the Senate declares that American leadership will not waiver, will not falter, will not fail,” Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, said. 

Although the vote represents a win for both Democrat and republican Senate leaders, it faces a deeply uncertain future in the lower legislative chamber with Republican hardliners, most of whom are allies of the leading GOP presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump, a strong critic of support for Ukraine, opposed to it.

Speaker Mike Johnson echoed the position, hinting on what could happen to the vote, insisting that it may take weeks or months before Congress transmits it to President Joe Biden’s desk, with a big, if at all.

Meanwhile, three Senators, Independent Bernies, Vermont’s Peter Welch and Oregon’s Jeff Merkley, voted against the legislation, insisting in particular that they cannot support any legislation aimed at sending offensive weaponry to Israel. 

“I cannot in good conscience support sending billions of additional taxpayer dollars for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza.  

“It’s a campaign that has killed and wounded a shocking number of civilians. It’s created a massive humanitarian crisis,” Welch said.

In his reaction, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, noted that the much needed US aid would help stave off Russian terror against Ukranians.

“For us in Ukraine, continued US assistance helps to save human lives from Russian terror.

“It means that life will continue in our cities and will triumph over war,” he posted on social media.