Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives passed legislation Saturday to provide key aid to Ukraine and Israel, and bolster Taiwan while also threatening a ban on TikTok if it fails to divest from Beijing.
The bills, passed in a rare Saturday session, were approved in quick succession by overwhelming bipartisan votes, though they leave the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson in some doubt as he seeks to fend off angry far-right detractors.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the votes, saying in a statement they would "deliver critical support to Israel and Ukraine; provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and other locations... and bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific."
He praised lawmakers who came together across party lines "to answer history's call."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky also welcomed the long-delayed aid package, saying the military and economic assistance would "save thousands and thousands of lives."
Not surprisingly, Russia took the opposite view.
"It will further enrich the United States of America and ruin Ukraine even........