The House passed a nearly $40 billion military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine late Tuesday.
The big picture: The vote passed 368-57, hours after Congressional leaders struck a deal on the aid — which Axios’ Alayna Treene notes is billions more than the $33 billion the White House initially requested. All 57 votes opposed to the package were cast by Republicans.
What they’re saying: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who led a congressional delegation to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv earlier this month, said in a statement the package “will be pivotal in helping Ukraine defend not only its nation but democracy for the world.”
- “As Putin desperately accelerates his brutality in Ukraine, time is of the essence,” Pelosi tweeted after the bill passed, noting that it builds on “robust support already secured by Congress.”
- “This urgent package includes military aid, support for the Ukrainian economy, and humanitarian assistance for food security to address the worldwide hunger crisis stemming fom Putin’s invasion,” she added.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in an emailed statement that the House had taken “a critical step … in sending a clear, bipartisan message to Ukraine, to Russia, and to the world that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their democracy against Russian aggression.”
- Psaki said the assistance of the U.S. and allies to date “has been critical in helping Ukrainians win the battle for Kyiv and defend their freedoms.”
- “The additional resources included in this bill will allow us to send more weapons, such as artillery, armored vehicles, and ammunition, to Ukraine. And they will help us replenish our stockpile and support U.S. troops on NATO territory,” she added.
What’s next: The Senate would need to pass the measure before it could go to President Biden to be signed into law.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with comment from Pelosi and Psaki.
Source: axios.com