House Passes Aid Package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, Includes TikTok Sale Requirement

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ICARO Media Group
Politics
20/04/2024 21h46

In a significant development, the House of Representatives has passed a series of bills aimed at providing crucial aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The package also includes a measure that would force the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, to sell the popular social media app. This legislative move marks a key step towards resolving the long-standing stalemate on foreign aid, originally proposed by President Biden back in October.

Following a morning of intense debate on the House floor, the four bills will be consolidated into a single package and forwarded to the Senate for approval. If passed by the Senate, the aid package will ultimately be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature into law. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, acknowledged the legislation's imperfections but emphasized the importance of prioritizing the well-being of American troops and opting for diplomacy over armed conflicts.

Speaker Johnson's decision to bring the aid package to a vote carried political risks, as staunch members of his own party threatened to remove him from his leadership position. While Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, previously filed a motion to vacate Speaker Johnson, she has yet to force a vote on the matter. Speaker Johnson maintained that he remains focused on performing his duty and carrying out his responsibilities effectively.

The passage of the foreign aid package garnered an array of public statements expressing gratitude towards Speaker Johnson. President Biden applauded Speaker Johnson, along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, and the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the House, for prioritizing national security. The President urged the Senate to swiftly approve the aid package, underscoring its importance.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, indicated that the Senate could be voting on the package as early as Tuesday. The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commended Speaker Johnson and the House of Representatives for their decision, emphasizing the significance it holds for maintaining historical integrity. Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister, Israel Katz, also expressed gratitude towards Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jeffries for their role in facilitating the passage of the aid package.

The bills included in this aid package allocate over $60 billion for Ukraine aid, more than $26 billion for Israel, and over $8 billion for Taiwan and Indo-Pacific security. Additionally, one bill features a provision mandating ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell the platform within nine months or potentially face a national ban, though the President may offer a 90-day extension.

Despite facing political challenges, Speaker Johnson decided to revisit the foreign aid package after Iran's recent attempted strike on Israel. This incident prompted a renewed bipartisan effort to support Israel, leading to the prioritization of the aid package. Speaker Johnson devised a plan to separate the foreign aid into individual bills, which he presented to his Republican colleagues. Though Representative Greene expressed discontent with the proposed bills, a vote on the motion to vacate Speaker Johnson did not materialize during Saturday's proceedings.

The passage of the aid package in the House paves the way for the much-needed foreign assistance that has been eagerly awaited since President Biden's initial proposal in October. As the Senate prepares to deliberate on the package, its approval would bring relief to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan while also addressing concerns surrounding the popular social media app TikTok.

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