House passes Ukraine, Israel foreign aid bills

WASHINGTON — On Saturday, the House approved both a $26 billion package for Israel and a $61 billion package for Ukraine.

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The bill for Israel, brought to the floor by House Speaker Mike Johnson, is expected to provide aid for the country and to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to The Associated Press.

“Thank you Speaker Johnson for your leadership which led the efforts to pass the Israel aid package in the House of Representatives today. And thank you Minority Leader Rep. (Hakeem) Jeffries for supporting it. The vote on the Israel aid package with an overwhelming bipartisan support proves the strong ties and strategic partnership between Israel and the U.S. and sends a strong message to our enemies. I hope it passes the Senate soon with strong bipartisan support,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X, formerly known as Twitter, according to CNN.

The Ukraine bill will help provide support to the U.S.’s warn-torn ally, the AP reported. The Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act passed by a vote of 311-112, according to CNN. It’s a $95 billion package that has $61 billion going to Ukraine and other partners in the region.

“Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to protect it,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X, according to CNN. “The vital U.S. 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 foreign aid packages also include $8 billion to the Indo-Pacific region, The New York Times reported.

The bills are expected to head next to the Senate. The packages are expected to be passed in the Senate over the next few days. According to the AP, President Joe Biden has promised that once the Senate approves the bills he will sign it as soon as he can.

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