US authorizes aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

WASHINGTON (EFE).— The United States House of Representatives yesterday approved a package of 95,000 million dollars of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, after the bill remained stalled for months due to the blockade of a group of radical republican legislators.

Each item was voted on independently and the 61 billion for Ukraine was approved by a bipartisan vote of 311 in favor to 112 against, in a session in which Democrats cheered and waved Ukrainian flags.

The allocation of 26.4 billion for Israel was approved by 366 votes in favor to 58 against and includes funds for anti-missile defense systems as well as for the acquisition of advanced defense weapons systems. 9.2 billion dollars are for humanitarian assistance.

In another vote, funds for the security of the Indo-Pacific (Taiwan, among others) were approved with a bipartisan vote of 385-34 plus one blank vote, that of the Democratic representative of Palestinian origin Rashida Tlaib.

Among other items, there are $8.1 billion to counter China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific region or $2 billion in foreign military financing for Taiwan and other key allies.

The bill will now have to be approved in the Senate, where the Democratic Party has a slim majority.

Following the approval, President Joe Biden celebrated in a statement that legislators had voted to promote “the national security interests” of the country and to “send a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage.”