More than 10 billion less: House of Representatives proposes alternative aid package for Ukraine

What does the new draft law of the House of Representatives provide for

The new draft law was proposed by four Republicans and the same number of Democrats. It is a scaled-down version of the $95 billion relief package that the Senate previously passed.

The House counterproposal would remove tens of billions of dollars in humanitarian and economic aid for Ukraine and Gaza and leave in military the part that was in the Senate bill.

The bill provides for the allocation of 47.7 billion to support Ukraine, the publication stated.

They noted that assistance to Ukraine includes:

• 13.8 billion dollars – for the initiative to promote the security of Ukraine for the Pentagon to sign contracts with American defense companies to supply Kiev with new weapons and equipment;
• another 13.4 billion – will go to The Pentagon to replace weapons sent to Ukraine from US military stocks.

By the way, the draft law proposed by legislators contains for Israel, $10.4 billion aid amid the war against Hamas in Gaza. Of these:

• 4 billion will go to Israeli air defense systems Iron Dome and David's Sling,

< li>another 1.2 billion – for the introduction of the Iron Beam laser anti-missile system;

• the Pentagon will receive an additional 4.4 billion dollars to replenish its stocks of weapons and equipment, which were sent to Israel.

The bill also includes $2.4 billion to support enhanced U.S. Central Command operations in response to attacks by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. It also funds the replacement of munitions used in the Red Sea to protect US ships and international shipping from Houthi attacks.

Pacific Region: 4.9 billion US dollars to support Taiwan and other US partners in the Pacific to contain China. Specifically, $1.9 billion will go toward replenishing weapons transferred to Taiwan.

An additional $542 million will go toward addressing unfunded priorities of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

McCall said that the US House of Representatives will not vote on aid to Ukraine before mid-March

Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul said that the House of Representatives will not vote on aid to Ukraine before mid-March 2024.

Reuters wrote, citing the Republican, that he had not carefully read the draft law, but had concerns about the proposed changes in military funding.

Michael McCaul noted that the House of Representatives would vote for the bill if its Speaker, Republican Michael Johnson, allowed a vote, despite opposition from a vocal group of lawmakers most closely associated with the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

What is known about the aid package to Ukraine

• The US Senate voted in favor on February 13 aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan worth more than $95.3 billion. Of these, more than 60 billion are planned to be transferred to Ukraine.
• Next, the House of Representatives must vote on the draft law. After which Biden must sign it.
• Republican and Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson said that he would not bring the Ukraine aid bill to a vote. He criticizes the package for excluding border security provisions.
• Indeed, on February 15, the House of Representatives went into recess for two weeks without voting on the bill. Lawmakers will return to work only on February 28.