U.S. Senate passes $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan

The Democratic-led US Senate has passed a $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan following weeks of debate within the Republican Party over financial assistance to U.S. allies.

Previously, some Republicans opposed passing a $60 billion aid bill for Ukraine, while some Democrats didn't want to provide billions in aid to Israel.

Seventy members of the Senate, including over 10 Republicans, supported the approved proposal. Twenty-nine senators voted against it, disagreeing that halting aid to Ukraine jeopardizes U.S. national interests.

Earlier, the White House criticized Republicans' proposal to fund Israel separately from aiding Ukraine and strengthening the U.S. southern border, warning that President Joe Biden would veto the bill if passed by Congress.

The Hill notes that Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson is considering another attempt to pass a Republican bill providing aid to Israel. He is going to bring the bill up for discussion next week.

Previously, the U.S. Senate unveiled a $118.28 billion bill on border security between the U.S. and Mexico, a Republican condition for unlocking aid to Ukraine. Under this bill, if the required amount is allocated for border protection between the U.S. and Mexico, $60.06 billion will be allocated for military aid to Ukraine, $14.1 billion for military aid to Israel, $2.44 billion for supporting U.S. Central Command operations and covering combat costs related to the Red Sea conflict, $10 billion of humanitarian assistance to the population of the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and $4.83 billion for supporting key regional partners in the Indo-Pacific region and countering aggression from the Chinese government.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated his intention to put the bill to a vote on Wednesday, February 7.

President Joe Biden said he "strongly supports" the bill. According to him, passing the bill will allow the U.S. to "continue vital work alongside partners worldwide" to support Ukraine and "provide Israel with everything it needs."

On January 18, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill for a new extension of temporary government funding until March 2024 to avoid a government shutdown. The agreed-upon budget did not include funding for defense aid to Israel and Ukraine, which the administration of President Joe Biden is trying to pass through Congress.