On Tuesday, April 23, the United States Senate overwhelmingly supported a comprehensive plan worth $95 billion passed by the House of Representatives with a vote of 80 to 19, paving the way for the final vote on the plan. The plan includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as four measures related to TikTok, including stripping or banning the app.
The vote on Tuesday limited the Senate’s debate on the comprehensive plan submitted by the House of Representatives. The Senate could conduct the final vote as early as Tuesday night or Wednesday night, according to the Congressional Hill report.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday morning, “Now is the time to get this job done and finally help our friends overseas.”
“I urge my colleagues to come together and pass this supplemental funding plan as soon as possible today, delivering the long-awaited assistance to our friends abroad. Let’s not delay, let’s not procrastinate,” Schumer said.
“Today, the Senate is a test for the entire country. It is a test of America’s determination, our readiness, and our leadership. The stakes of failure are very clear,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at the meeting.
Senators continue to work on a possible amendment agreement to expedite the final vote on the four bills, but negotiations hit a snag last weekend.
Here are the key contents of the four bills:
The “21st Century Peace through Strength Act” involves a series of national security projects, including sanctions against Iran, and gives ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, up to a year to sell TikTok, or else the app will be banned from U.S. app stores.
The “Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act” will provide $6.1 billion in aid to Ukraine to counter Russia’s invasion.
The “Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Bill” provides approximately $8.1 billion to counter China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific region, including providing infrastructure for submarine development; providing foreign military financing for Taiwan and other key allies, among other measures.
The “Israel Security Supplemental Act” provides $26.4 billion in aid to Israel.
The bill also provides additional flexibility for transferring U.S. defense materials stored in other countries to Israel.
President Biden has pledged to sign these bills into law after they pass the Senate.