The bills amount to a $95 billion aid package in total.

The House on Saturday passed a $95 billion aid package that includes two long-awaited bills with $60.8 billion of Ukraine aid and $26 billion in aid to Israel.

The Ukraine bill, which passed with 311 votes in favor, 112 votes against, and one present, will now head to the Senate alongside the Israel aid bill and two others — one with aid for Taiwan and another that forces Tiktok’s parent company to sell it.

  • @[email protected]
    27•8 months ago

    I agree on keeping bills separate, but you seem to be confused. Tiktok wasn’t in the same bill, the help for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel was bundled together.

    The reason for it was that the current speaker actually wanted help for Israel and Taiwan but was holding the bill because of Ukraine, which his orange friend doesn’t support.

    This is why it was held. Why the speaker had a sudden change of heart?

    It was because two Republicans threatened to resign, leaving Democrats in majority and getting speakership (I wish that outcome would actually happened).

    So he brought those bills to vote, but he split the bills. Because of it, now they have to go back to Senate, adding another unnecessary delay.

    • @[email protected]
      9•8 months ago

      This is why it was held. Why the speaker had a sudden change of heart?

      nah, it was:

      Mr. Johnson attributed his turnabout in part to the intelligence briefings he received, a striking assertion from a leader of a party that has embraced former President Donald J. Trump’s deep mistrust of the intelligence community. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/21/us/politics/mike-johnson-turnaround.html

      In some ways, a bit scary that what they told him really convinced him so readily. On the other hand I’m glad he was able to turn down local US politics (something I don’t feel Republicans have been doing recently) and focus on external politics.

      • @[email protected]
        1•8 months ago

        If it was so urgent, why did he split it so it now the bill has to go through the Senate again?

          • @[email protected]
            1•8 months ago

            There was one bill that included help for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel. Republicans only had problems with the former.

            If Ukraine was so important why did Mike split the bill. By splitting it, he made a change and because of that the bill needs to be voted on yet again in the Senate. If he didn’t split it, Biden could just sign it immediately.

            • @[email protected]
              1•8 months ago

              I’m confused where the aspect of urgency is coming from. I never asserted that Johnson was doing things urgently.

              • @[email protected]
                1•8 months ago

                Sorry, I saw similar comments and people saying that finally understands how urgent it is based on CIA briefing (as he said).

                The thing is that I don’t buy it. If he really thought it was as important and urgent, he would not split the bill and Biden likely would sign it on the same day, but instead it went back to the Senate.

                My belief is that his position was threatened, and if he get replaced (especially if it is true that two Republicans threatened to resign) he won’t be able to block other bills for Biden, because Democrats would control the house.