Washington:

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives on Saturday passed the first in a series of bills in a $95 billion legislative package providing security assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, over bitter objections from party hardliners.

More than two months have passed since the Democratic-majority Senate passed a similar measure and U.S. leaders from Democratic President Joe Biden to top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell have been urging embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring it up for a vote.

Johnson this week chose to ignore ouster threats by hardline members of his fractious 218-213 majority and push forward the measure that includes some $60.84 billion for Ukraine as it struggles to fight off a two-year Russian invasion.

The unusual four-bill package also includes funds for Israel, security assistance for Taiwan and allies in the Indo-Pacific and a measure that includes sanctions, a threat to ban the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok and the potential transfer of seized Russian assets to Ukraine.

The bill imposing the new limits on TikTok was the first of the four to pass on Saturday.

“The world is watching what the Congress does,” the White House said in a statement on Friday. “Passing this legislation would send a powerful message about the strength of American leadership at a pivotal moment. The administration urges both chambers of the Congress to quickly send this supplemental funding package to the president’s desk.”

A bipartisan 316-94 House majority on Friday voted to advance the bill to a vote, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told senators to be ready to work over the weekend if it passes the House as expected.

“It’s not the perfect legislation, it’s not the legislation that we would write if Republicans were in charge of both the House, the Senate, and the White House,” Johnson told reporters on Friday. “This is the best possible product that we can get under these circumstances to take care of these really important obligations.”

Some hardline Republicans have voiced strong opposition to further Ukraine aid, with some arguing the US can ill afford it given its rising $34 trillion national debt. They have repeatedly raised the threat of ousting Johnson, who became speaker in October after his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted by party hardliners.

Representative Bob Good, chair of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, told reporters on Friday that the bills represent a “slide down into the abyss of greater fiscal crisis and America-last policies that reflect Biden and Schumer and (House Democratic leader Hakeem) Jeffries, and don’t reflect the American people.”

But Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who carries huge influence in the party, on April 12 voiced support for Johnson and in a Thursday social media post said Ukraine’s survival is important for the U.S.

The bills provide $60.84 billion to address the conflict in Ukraine, including $23 billion to replenish U.S. weapons, stocks and facilities; $26 billion for Israel, including $9.1 billion for humanitarian needs, and $8.12 billion for the Indo-Pacific.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington, United States:

The US House of Representatives on Saturday will vote on a major aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and on a possible ban of TikTok.

Here is a breakdown of the $95 billion package made up of four bills and some odd amendments that lawmakers are trying to attach to it.

Ukraine

The majority of funds in the package, nearly $61 billion, are earmarked for Ukraine’s war effort against the Russian invasion. President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading for this money for months, warning that “if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war.”

Washington is Kyiv’s main military supporter, but Congress has not passed a major aid package for its ally since December 2022 due to partisan squabbling. 

The bill introduced Wednesday would provide nearly $14 billion to train, equip and finance the needs of the Ukrainian army.

Ukraine would also receive $10 billion in “forgivable loans” for vital economic and budgetary support, including for the energy and infrastructure sectors.

The idea of a loan, rather than a grant, was suggested by former president Donald Trump, who believes the United States should stop handing out money without any payback. A “forgivable loan” can be partly or fully forgiven or deferred under certain conditions.

A large chunk of this money will also go to replenishing US military stockpiles.

The bill also authorizes the US president to confiscate and sell Russian assets in order to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine, an idea that is also gaining traction with other G7 countries.

Israel

The United States’ historic ally Israel will receive $13 billion in military assistance as it fights Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

These funds will be used in particular to strengthen Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.

More than $9 billion will be spent to address “the dire need for humanitarian assistance for Gaza as well as other vulnerable populations around the world.”

The measure, however, would prohibit any direct US funding of the UN crisis-hit Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA). Israel has accused some of the agency employees in Gaza of involvement in the shocking October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which triggered the war.

Taiwan, TikTok

The bill would provide some $8 billion to counter China through investment in submarine infrastructure and boosting competition with Chinese projects in developing countries.

The bill also earmarks several billion dollars in weapons funding for Taiwan, a self-ruled island that is claimed by China.

It also includes a provision that would force TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban in the United States.

Western officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok with young people, alleging that it is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda, claims denied by the company and Beijing.

Troll amendments

The massive package, a result of a delicate compromise between Democrats and Republicans, was met with backlash from the far-right wing of the Republican Party.

In protest, its members introduced a series of quirky provisions, which have generated some buzz but have no chance of being adopted.

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene proposed an amendment to a foreign aid bill that would require members of Congress who vote in favor of providing aid to Ukraine to join the country’s military.

“If you want to fund the endless foreign wars, you should have to go fight them,” Greene, a hardline Trump supporter, said on the social media platform X. 

In response, Democrat Jared Moskowitz introduced his own amendment that would rename Greene’s office in Congress into “Neville Chamberlain Room” — a reference to the British prime minister who pursued a policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany, which ultimately failed to avert World War II.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Republican Jim Jordan’s quest to become speaker of the US House of Representatives ended on Friday. Mr Jordan failed to secure the number of votes required to take over the position. Now, as the race begins again, all eyes are on the frontrunners — Tom Emmer,  Kevin Hern, Mike Johnson, and Jack Bergman.

1. Tom Emmer

Congressman Tom Emmer is one of the strongest contenders in the race. He announced his GOP’s nomination for speaker on Friday.

Mr Emmer, who has former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s support, took to his official X (earlier known as Twitter) account and wrote, “The American people elected us to deliver on a conservative agenda that secures our border, stops reckless spending, and holds Joe Biden accountable. We cannot afford to fail them. I’m running for Speaker of the House to bring our conference together and get back to work.”

The American people elected us to deliver on a conservative agenda that secures our border, stops reckless spending, and holds Joe Biden accountable.

We cannot afford to fail them.

I’m running for Speaker of the House to bring our conference together and get back to work. pic.twitter.com/kVFmlQ70PS

— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) October 21, 2023

2. Kevin Hern

Kevin Hern is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee. Not many would know, but Mr Hern used to own a McDonald’s franchise. 

At the time of announcing his participation in the race for US House Speaker, Mr Hern said, “We need a different type of leader who has a proven track record of success, which is why I am running for Speaker of the House.”

We need a different type of leader who has a proven track record of success, which is why I’m running for Speaker of the House. pic.twitter.com/updVLkDCGh

— Congressman Kevin Hern (@repkevinhern) October 20, 2023

3. Mike Johnson 

Mike Johnson represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana.

He is also the Vice Chairman of House Republicans, as per his bio on X. 

Mr Johnson announced his candidacy in a detailed post on the social media platform. 

I’m in! pic.twitter.com/VSn14QkHEG

— Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) October 21, 2023

4. Jack Bergman

Jack Bergman, who represents the Michigan first district, has also been billed as one of the top contenders for the position of the House Of Speaker. 

Bergman officially announces his speaker bid. pic.twitter.com/tWZgliesBW

— Juliegrace Brufke (@juliegraceb) October 21, 2023

Mr Bergman is the highest-ranking combat Veteran to have ever served in the US House.

Washington:

US lawmakers rejected hard-line conservative Jim Jordan’s bid for speaker of the US House of Representatives for a second time on Wednesday, as the leadership vacuum paralysing Washington entered a 15th day with no clear resolution in sight.

The lower chamber of Congress has been in a tailspin since Republican speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by his party’s far right on October 3 — unable to address a looming government shutdown or war in the Middle East.

Jim Jordan, an acolyte of scandal-engulfed Donald Trump, could only afford to lose four Republicans, but 22 of his colleagues rejected his candidacy in the second ballot — two more than were against him a day earlier.

The Israel-Hamas conflict, a renewed push for aid to Ukraine and the threat of a government shutdown have dramatically upped the stakes, with Republican aides hoping the urgent need for Congress to respond would unite the fractured party.

But Mr Jordan’s centrist colleagues, already wary of his hard-right politics, voiced irritation over a concerted effort to whip extra votes for the 59-year-old former wrestling champion.

“Each day that passes without a speaker of the House is a national security risk,” said Jordan supporter and California Republican David Valadao.

“I voted for the Republican Conference’s nominee for speaker because we must get back to work, and we cannot do that until we have a speaker.”

Mr Jordan’s second defeat compounded growing angst around the speaker’s race and disarray within the Republican Party, with no immediate plans for a third vote and many — including Valadao — pushing to expand the limited powers of the largely ceremonial caretaker speaker.

No clear alternative

Jim Jordan, the chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee, will be expected to show significant progress if he takes the contest to a third round, but the holdouts appear to be dug in.

His Republican opponents met after voting against him for the first time Tuesday and nearly all reaffirmed their objections, with some predicting Jordan would only hemorrhage more support.

The Ohio lawmaker has little of the goodwill among the rank-and-file that McCarthy spent years cultivating and it is unlikely that they would indulge him in the 15 rounds of voting that it took to get his predecessor elected.

Party strategists worry that Jordan going backwards could herald days of further deadlock, as there is no obvious alternative with the support and the profile to corral a party that has become synonymous with division and dysfunction.

“And why run for the mayor of a city that’s just been nuked?” asked online politics outlet Punchbowl News.

There is momentum behind a push to formally appoint caretaker speaker Patrick McHenry for a limited period of perhaps a few months — expanding his purely ceremonial powers so that he can bring legislation to the floor.

“After two weeks without a speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options,” Ohio congressman Dave Joyce said in a statement reported by politics newspaper The Hill.

“By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)