US House of Reps approve $61 billion in aid for Ukraine war effort
The United States House of Representatives has voted in favour of billions of dollars in US military aid for Ukraine, after months of delay.
The measure had vocal opponents in Congress, and it took a fragile bipartisan deal to finally get it through the House.
There were cheers and applause in the House as it passed, with some Representatives waving Ukrainian flags.
The $61bn package was passed by 311 votes to 112.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wanted to push the measures through, even if it jeopardised his position.
Reacting to Saturday’s vote, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “I am grateful to the United States House of Representatives, both parties, and personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track.
“Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to protect it.
“The vital US aid bill passed today by the House will keep the war from expanding, save thousands and thousands of lives, and help both of our nations to become stronger.
The bill will now go to the Senate, which is expected to pass it in the next few days before President Joe Biden signs it into law.
On Saturday, it was passed by a comfortable margin but those numbers obscure the increasingly sharp partisan divides on the issue.
While all 210 Democrats voted in favour, more Republicans were against the legislation than in favour of it, 112 to 101.
It is also a sign that Republican legislators in the House are increasingly sensitive to the shifting attitude from voters in their party toward Ukraine during this election year.
While the billions of dollars in new aid is expected to sustain the Ukrainian war effort in the months ahead, if Republicans gain more power in Congress or take back the White House further US support seems increasingly unlikely.
The House also passed a funding package worth $26.4bn for Israel, which is continuing its offensive in Gaza and is involved in a military confrontation with Iran. The aid includes funding for humanitarian operations.
Separately, the House passed an $8.1bn aid package for the Indo-Pacific region. Those funds are mainly designed to deter Chinese aggression, particularly against Taiwan.
Other measures include new rules that could see the US ban TikTok unless its Chinese parent company sold the app.
The House also backed new sanctions on China, Russia and Iran, as well as provisions to sell frozen Russian assets to generate revenue for Ukraine.
