US lawmakers approve $95bn aid package for Ukraine and Israel

Ukraine is to get more military aid (Matt Rourke/AP)

The House of Representatives has voted to approve $95bn in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other US allies.

Democrats and Republicans joined together after a months-long fight over renewed American support to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion.

With overwhelming support, the House approved the Ukraine portion, a $61bn aid package, in a strong showing of American backing as lawmakers race to deliver a fresh round of US support to its war-torn ally. Some lawmakers cheered, waving the blue-and-yellow flags of Ukraine.

The $26bn package aiding Israel and providing humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza also easily cleared.

Each segment of the aid package faced an up-or-down vote.

The package will now go to the Senate, where passage in the coming days is nearly assured. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.

TikTok

The House of Representatives also has passed legislation that would ban TikTok in the United States if the social media platform’s China-based owner does not sell its stake within a year.

The decision by House Republicans to include TikTok as part of a larger foreign aid package fast-tracked the ban after an earlier version had stalled in the Senate.

A standalone bill with a six-month selling deadline passed the House in March by an overwhelming bipartisan vote as both Democrats and Republicans voiced national security concerns about the app’s owner, the Chinese technology firm ByteDance.

The modified measure now goes to the Senate after negotiations that produced a compromise.