House Republicans Finally Announce Vote For $61 Bn In Ukraine Aid

The Republican leader in the House of Representatives announced Wednesday a vote on a massive new military aid package that includes some $61 billion in long-delayed support for Ukraine, as well as billions for Israel and Taiwan

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2024) The Republican leader in the House of Representatives announced Wednesday a vote on a massive new military aid package that includes some $61 billion in long-delayed support for Ukraine, as well as billions for Israel and Taiwan.

The move could finally get much-needed help to outgunned Ukrainian forces as they battle Russian invaders.

But it also sets up a showdown with Johnson's own far-right wing, which for months has been steered by Donald Trump into blocking aid to Ukraine.

"We expect the vote on final passage on these bills to be on Saturday evening," Speaker Mike Johnson announced.

Along with the $61 billion for Ukraine, the bills allocate more than $26 billion for Israel as it wages war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and squares up against regional foe Iran and its proxies.

They also include $8 billion for self-ruled Taiwan, which China sees as part of its territory and has vowed to retake -- by force if necessary.

For months Johnson has faced huge pressure from the White House and much of Congress to allow the lower house to vote on aid to Ukraine and Israel that was already approved in the Senate.

Johnson had refused to allow a vote on that $95 billion package in the House.

Instead he is pushing this separate package -- which the White House has appeared to give the cautious nod to, even as Biden has said he needs to study it more closely.

It remains unclear if Johnson's aid bills would pass the House or the Democratically controlled Senate.

The speaker's majority is razor-thin, and he is facing a potential Republican revolt over his complex plan, as conservatives complain over the billions in aid already spent.

And loyalists to Trump -- who has forcefully opposed more direct aid to Ukraine, complaining about the billions that have already been sent since the fighting began in February 2022 -- hold the balance of power in the House.

Without the near-total backing of his party, Johnson would be left to rely on Democratic votes to pass the aid bills.

That would infuriate his own party's hard-right faction, some of whom have already spoken out against the new package -- forcing Johnson to insist on Tuesday that he would not resign.