House passes Taiwan aid as part of initial progress in foreign aid proposal

A bipartisan House passed a massive aid package to Ukraine, ending a monthslong stalemate over whether the United States had the political will to continue funding Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of the $60.84 billion package during a rare weekend vote series on Saturday, marking the first Ukraine aid supplemental to pass the lower chamber in months. The bill passed in a 311-112 vote, with Democrats making up the vast majority of support for the supplemental package.

House Democrats erupted in cheers and applause when the bill passed, with several lawmakers waving Ukrainian flags on the floor. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) later reprimanded those lawmakers, noting it’s a violation of House rules to wave flags on the House floor.

The Ukraine bill allocates billions of dollars to replenish defense weapons and services provided to the wartorn country as it continues to stave off an invasion from Russia for over two years. The bill includes $11.3 billion to maintain U.S. military operations in the region as well as another $13.8 billion to secure advanced weapons systems and other defense services.

The legislation also includes a requirement for other foreign allies to participate in cost-matching programs and mandates a repayment agreement with the Ukrainian government.

The approval of Ukraine aid marks a major moment for Congress, but it could also start the clock on whether Johnson will keep the speaker’s gavel. Hanging over his head is a threat of his ouster filed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) late last month.

Although the Georgia Republican has not indicated what would be a trigger for her to move forward with her motion to vacate, Greene has repeatedly suggested Ukraine could be a redline. In fact, Greene proposed an amendment to the Ukraine funding bill that would have reduced “every dollar amount in the bill to zero.”

The amendment was rejected in a 71-351 vote.

Also a warning sign for Johnson is the number of Republicans who rejected the Ukraine funding bill. Only 101 Republicans voted in favor of the aid package, with 112 voting against, violating the Hastert rule that dictates speakers should not vote on legislation unless it has majority support from the majority party.

But Democrats could come to Johnson’s rescue if Ukraine aid is passed, with party leaders commending the speaker for moving forward with the package.

“This is a moment where the Congress is required to stand up for democracy, freedom, and truth and push back against aggression in a bipartisan way,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said on Saturday. “I commended by name traditional conservatives, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, for doing the right thing.”

The vote is the second of three foreign aid bills up for consideration on Saturday. The House first passed a foreign aid bill providing funds to Taiwan in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, approving an $8.12 billion proposal to combat any efforts from the Chinese government to invade the East Asian country.

The Taiwan supplemental passed in a 385-34 vote, with only 34 Republicans rejecting the measure. One Democrat, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), voted present.

The latest foreign aid package comes months after the Senate passed its own $95 billion foreign aid supplemental in February that combined funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. However, Johnson deemed that bill “dead on arrival” in the House, resulting in a monthslong debate about how to move forward with providing aid to key U.S. allies overseas.

The House is also set to vote on foreign aid legislation related to Israel on Saturday, after which all three of the bills will be transferred to the Senate as one comprehensive piece of legislation. That package would also include a national security supplemental, which passed the House earlier in the day.

The Israel aid bill provides $26.38 billion to the country, which includes funds to replenish the country’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems, as well as $3.5 billion to go toward securing advanced weapons systems and other defense services. The package also includes about $9 billion in humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza.

The aid to Israel comes after the country experienced its first-ever missile attack from Iran just last week, prompting lawmakers to expedite a foreign aid package despite lingering opposition from some lawmakers.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who has vowed to move “expeditiously” on the House-passed foreign aid bill, announced on Saturday morning that the Senate had a “tentative agreement” to take its first vote on Tuesday afternoon should the House package pass, eating into a planned recess this coming week.

After that, the package will be sent to President Joe Biden for approval. The White House has already expressed support for the legislation.