WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives voted 316-94 to vote on four separate bills, including aid to Ukraine and Israel, a boon for the prospects of Congress approving U.S. funding for the two countries after months of delays and partisan battles.
Facing fierce opposition from members of the right, Speaker Mike Johnson received crucial help from Democrats to advance on the ballot. “More Democrats (165) voted than Republicans (151).the rule,” is a procedural step for assigning votes.
The measure has four votes expected in the House on Saturday afternoon: one on Israel aid, another on Ukraine aid, another on Indo-Pacific security and a fourth on the bill. Ban TikTok in the US Unless it abandons its Chinese-based owner, as well as various national security priorities. If they pass, the measures will be packaged together and sent to the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Taken together, it closely resembles foreign aid measures A $95 billion national security package Pushed by President Joe Biden. Due to some differences with the version that passed the upper house in February, the Senate had to pass it again.
“The world is watching what Congress does. Passage of this legislation will send a strong message about the strength of American leadership at a critical time,” the White House budget office said in a statement Friday approving the House package. “The Administration urges both houses of Congress to quickly send this additional funding package to the President’s desk.”
The House move follows a 9-3 vote in the Rules Committee on Thursday to send the bills to a final vote. RS.C. cut off Johnson to vote against. But all four Democrats on the committee voted to save the rule, a highly unusual move for the minority party.
“We only control one chamber, and I barely control it,” Johnson said Thursday on Newsmax, explaining why he has been unable to include the GOP immigration measures in the package, as some have wanted. “The Senate won’t advance our legislation and the president won’t sign it… I have a handful of Republicans who, at least, won’t advance a rule to put this on the floor to unify with Ukraine. and Israel’s finances they won’t do it.
Johnson’s decision to move forward with the bills came after two of his members, Massie and Rep. Coming in as Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. — threaten to remove him from the oratory. They and many other conservatives in the House of Representatives oppose additional aid to Ukraine.
“We will see what happens. I’m going to do my job. I don’t stand by threats,” Johnson said Friday. “We’re going to do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may.”
Johnson, who opposed Ukraine aid before becoming speaker last year, now says he believes it is “critically important” based on intelligence and briefings he has received since then.
“I think Vladimir Putin would have continued his march in Europe if he had been allowed to,” he told reporters this week.
“I’d rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys,” Johnson said, adding that his son is entering the Naval Academy this fall. “This is a live-fire exercise for me, as many American families are. This is not a game, this is not a joke.”
A fourth bill includes a provision to force China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok within nine months, which the president can extend to a year or face a US ban. It brings TikTok closer than ever to a ban in the country.
Democrats praised the move to move to a House vote, emphasizing their party’s key role.
“It is critical that Congress act to support Ukraine and send aid to repel Russian aggression,” Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said. X said. “We may be in the minority, but we will not allow this urgent mission to fail. Democrats are doing what it takes to make sure Ukraine gets help.”
Representative Grace Meng, DN.Y., he said The Democrats were effectively in charge: “We may be in the minority in the House right now, but @RepJeffries is essentially acting as the de facto speaker already. The Rs couldn’t get their bills out of the committee they controlled, so the Ds had to help. Not only did they get their workhorses does not show horses.