Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson relied heavily on lawmakers from the rival party to overcome a blockade from his conservatives colleagues.
The US House advanced a long-stalled US$95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, a breakthrough signalling an end to an increasingly agonising wait for Ukraine and US allies in Europe.
The pivotal procedural vote Friday signals the funding will prevail on Saturday when the House is scheduled to vote on the bill, which also includes a provision that would force the social media platform TikTok’s Chinese parent company to divest or face a ban in the US.
House Speaker Mike Johnson relied heavily on Democrats in the 316-94 vote to overcome a blockade from conservatives within his own party. More Democrats than Republicans voted to advance the aid package, with 165 Democrats supporting the procedural step. Fifty-five Republicans defied Johnson.
The long-delayed Ukraine aid is vital to country’s ability to hold back Russian forces and defend against missile attacks that have destroyed major power plants and other infrastructure. Without the weapons, US and Ukrainian officials have warned that Kyiv would be unable to hold its defensive lines and could lose on the battlefield before the end of this year.
The Senate, which overwhelmingly passed similar legislation, is expected to vote in the coming days. The Biden administration is already preparing to move assistance to Ukraine swiftly after that, a US official said.
