US Senate stages crucial vote on Ukraine aid, Biden promises to sign

Millions of dollars in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan were approved by the U.S. Senate and are heading towards a final vote. This comes after the House of Representatives ended a lengthy deadlock and approved the assistance in a rare Saturday session.

The Senate voted 72 to 13 in favor of advancing the package of four bills passed by the House, surpassing the required 60 votes needed for a final vote, which could take place as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.

The bills include $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel, and $8.12 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region. The fourth bill includes measures such as a potential ban on TikTok, the transfer of seized Russian assets to Ukraine, and new sanctions on Iran.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has pledged to sign the package into law once it passes the Senate.

According to two U.S. officials, the administration is already preparing a $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine, which would be the first to be funded from the bill. This would enable the shipment of military assistance to Ukraine within days, boosting morale for Ukrainian troops fighting against Russian forces. While the aid would have been more helpful if it had arrived closer to Biden's initial request last year, analysts believe that the influx of weapons will improve Ukraine's chances of preventing a major Russian advance in the east.

During the Senate session, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged his colleagues to pass the supplemental bill quickly, emphasizing the importance of providing aid to foreign allies. Republican leader Mitch McConnell, while urging support, warned against isolationism and stated that failing to support allies would embolden rivals like China and Russia.

The aid package could be the last one approved for Ukraine until after the elections in November, when the White House, the House of Representatives, and one-third of the Senate are up for election.

The impact of the aid money for Israel on the conflict in Gaza is not immediately clear. Israel already receives significant annual security assistance from the U.S. The package includes humanitarian aid, which supporters hope will benefit Palestinians in Gaza.

The bill for Israel passed the House with a large majority, with 21 Republicans and 37 Democrats opposing it. Republican dissenters generally oppose foreign aid, while Democratic objectors demanded more aid to alleviate the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's campaign in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attacks.

The Senate had previously passed security aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific with the support of 70% of its members, both Republicans and Democrats.

President Biden informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a phone call that his administration would provide new security assistance to meet Ukraine's urgent defense needs as soon as he signs the spending bills into law.

The progress of this legislation has been closely monitored by the industry, as U.S. defense companies are in line for major contracts to supply equipment to Ukraine and other U.S. partners. Proponents of the foreign assistance emphasize that approving the Ukraine bill would create many American jobs.

Experts predict that the supplemental spending will increase the order backlog of defense companies such as RTX Corp, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman, all of which receive government contracts.

Congressional aides have stated that the funding for Ukraine includes $8 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows Biden to send equipment to Ukraine from U.S. stocks.

The House passed the Ukraine funding with a vote of 311-112, with all 112 "no" votes coming from Republicans, many of whom strongly opposed further assistance to Ukraine. Speaker Mike Johnson had to rely on Democratic support as only 101 Republicans voted in favor, leading to calls for his removal as House leader. However, despite the opposition, the House recessed without triggering a vote to remove Johnson from his position.