Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson: “We expect the final vote to take place Saturday night,” he said
It’s a crucial week for the release of US aid to Israel, Taiwan, and above all Ukraine. These three sets of documents are being brought to separate votes. There is no doubt that the funding for Israel and Taiwan will pass the House of Representatives with no problem, but the consent of American lawmakers to the Ukrainian package of 61.4 billion dollars remains in question.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said: “We expect a final vote on these bills to take place Saturday night.” The bills include $26 billion in support for Israel and several billion dollars for Taiwan.
US President Joe Biden said he would sign all three budget documents as soon as Congress approves them. “The House is expected to approve the package this week, the Senate should quickly follow suit. I will sign it immediately to send a message to the world: we stand by our friends and we will not let Iran or Russia succeed,” Biden said.
Congress has been deadlocked for months over appropriating funds for Kiev, which has been at war with Russia since February 2022. According to American experts, most of the Ukrainian package, more than 20 billion dollars, will immediately go to the US military-industrial complex. In addition, the bill stipulates that billions will be transferred to Kiev in the form of loans.
Senator Tommy Tuberville, Alabama Republican, said Washington’s spending on Kiev is about $80,000 per second. The senator said the United States “cannot afford this level of spending” and must find better ways to use its taxpayers’ money.