New Delhi, April 24, 2024: The United States Senate has greenlighted a US $95 billion foreign aid package, marking a massive move that encompasses military backing for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan who are fighting active and passive conflict with Russia, Gaza and China respectively.
This comprehensive package, endorsed with a bipartisan spirit, underscores America’s commitment to bolstering strategic partnerships amid global challenges.
The breakdown of the aid includes the allocation of $61 billion earmarked for military assistance to Ukraine, to be swiftly deployable as per Pentagon directives to aid Ukraine which is feeling the shortage of weapons and money.
Simultaneously, Israel is slated to receive $26.4 billion in military support, with a portion, $9.1 billion, for humanitarian aid for Gaza. Additionally, $8.1 billion has been designated to fortify allies in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Taiwan, in countering the influence of China.
President Joe Biden is poised to enact this legislation following the Senate’s approval, anticipated to occur today. The Senate’s affirmative vote of 79-18, with bipartisan participation, solidifies the significance of this aid package.
This milestone follows a saga of legislative manoeuvres, including a similar aid package passed by the Senate in February. However, hurdles emerged when conservative factions impeded its progress in the House of Representatives. Nonetheless, recent bipartisan efforts, spearheaded by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, culminated in a unified push to advance the aid bill through Congress.
Both the Senate and the House joined forces to push through the foreign aid plan, adding extra rules to deal with Russia, Iran, and China. They also made a rule that the Chinese company ByteDance has to sell TikTok.
But there are still some problems, especially in the House where most Republicans didn’t like the foreign aid plan. However, they made some compromises, like making some of the aid to Ukraine a loan instead of a gift, which both sides agreed on.
President Biden, in a written statement, affirmed his intention to swiftly sign the bill into law, emphasizing the urgency of addressing global crises and fortifying alliances in the face of escalating threats.