The Senate passed a long-delayed $95.3 billion foreign-aid package sending much-needed ammunition and military equipment to beleaguered Ukrainian soldiers and fortifying Israel’s missile defense systems, while also forcing the sale of Chinese-controlled TikTok in the U.S.
The 79-to-18 vote brought to a close months of wrenching debate over Ukraine that sharply split the Republican Party, with rank-and-file members openly rebelling against their leaders.
The fight also called into question both how far the U.S. would go to defend the country, now in the third year of trying to repel Russia’s invasion, as well as America’s leadership role in the world.
The measure passed the House on Saturday and now goes to President Biden’s desk. Biden, who has been pushing for a big foreign-aid package since the fall, said he would quickly sign the measure into law Wednesday.
The measure contains money for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as humanitarian aid for Gaza—largely matching an earlier Senate bill—plus additions made by the House, such as sanctions on Russia and Iran and the TikTok provision.
Leaders in the GOP-controlled House also changed roughly $9.5 billion in economic aid to Ukraine into forgivable loans rather than grants, to make it more politically palatable to Republicans.
.Here are the top political news stories for today.
As the "bad guys" drift into Moscow & Beijing's orbit, the West's military industrial complex is gradually running out of "safe" wars to profit from. Eventually, the buffers will be gone & their only option will be a catastrophic direct war against Russia or China (nuclear WW3).
@LovesickCaribouMountain2yrs2Y
There comes a point where the American people get the government they deserve. They are so spoiled and complacent that they will meekly submit to the Bolsheviks. What can be done with such a weak and cowardly people?
Asked why some Senate Republicans were slow to support aid for Kyiv, McConnell cited the “demonization of Ukraine” by Tucker Carlson. He also blamed Trump: “I think the former president had sort of mixed views on it”
@UncommonDeficitPatriot2yrs2Y
Trump endorsed Johnson and fully supported this atrocity.
Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) comes right out and admits it: they're about to ban TikTok because "young people are getting their news" from the app, and "pro-Palestinian" hashtags generate lots of views. He says Chinese Communists are "pushing this racist agenda" to undermine America
Why can't they ever just deal with the facts of a situation? Are the Tik Toks about Gaza wrong? If so, how?
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) defends the TikTok ban in the war funding bill by arguing it's necessary to vest the President with vast new censorship powers in order to protect "vulnerable Americans" from "harmful content" and "blackmail." She says we need a new "Technology NATO"
@DopeyR3f0rmUnity2yrs2Y
Lindsey Graham, who strategized with Trump to pass the giant war funding bill, explains the true meaning of "America First" -- as contrasted with "isolationism"
GRAHAM: "America First says, let's help Israel. Let's help Ukraine. Let's turn it into a loan rather than a grant"
Nothing unites the US political system like dumping $100 billion into the permanent war sinkhole
@DopeyR3f0rmUnity2yrs2Y
Well this should do it. I expect Ukrainian troops to take Moscow by May Day and Putin will be brought to The Hague to face justice. We just needed one more spending bill from our brave warmongers in congress.
Congress will likely pass no legislation of any real significance for the rest of the Fiscal Year (unless something unforeseen happens). This is what they've chosen to devote their energies to: perpetual war, censorship, sanctions, and a historic giveaway to the "defense" sector
Lesson from Mike Johnson: All it takes to get the media to change from mocking and reviling you to slobbering you with praise is to do what they want. It only takes $100B and the betrayal of your voters' policy goals, but what are those silly things compared to praise from the media!
Just amazing people pretending that Trump didn’t give him permission to do this.
@GleefulIndependentGreen2yrs2Y
It’s the other way around Trump goes along with anything the Congressional Republicans do. It’s why he signed every Omibus bill Ryan gave him and the corporate tax cuts.
He’s a follower, not a leader.
WSJ reported yesterday that Trump strategized behind the scenes with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to pass the war funding bill. All three voted YES on final passage. There's no longer any doubt: Trump's fingerprints are all over this
@GleefulIndependentGreen2yrs2Y
Absolutely bonkers to watch so many formerly intelligent people pretend that Donald Trump was against this round of Ukraine funding, when he clearly gave the go-ahead to Johnson has since endorsed him twice
@S3curityBaboonVeteran2yrs2Y
@9LS59NK2yrs2Y
The United States should focus on their own people before sending aid to other countries, especially if they are actively commiting genocide
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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