The House on Tuesday night overwhelmingly approved a nearly $40 billion aid package for Ukraine. The 368-to-57 vote saw all Democrats joined by 149 Republicans in support of the bill while 57 Republicans opposed it.
“It is about democracy versus a dictatorship. Democracy must prevail,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said ahead of the vote. “The Ukrainian people are fighting the fight for their democracy and, in doing so, for ours as well.”
A summary of the bill issued by the House Appropriations Committee said the package includes $6 billion to provide training, military equipment and weapons, logistics and intelligence support and salaries to Ukrainian forces. It also include more than $9 billion to replenish U.S. stocks of equipment sent to Ukraine and nearly $14 billion for State Department programs, including humanitarian support for refugees, economic aid to Ukraine’s government and $760 million to address global food insecurity. The package also includes another $4.35 billion for emergency food assistance to people around the world.
The Senate is expected to pass the aid bill, potentially by the end of the week. In a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the administration is running out of authorized funds for Ukraine and would need additional appropriations no later than May 19.
Passage of the latest package would bring the total aid for Ukraine approved by lawmakers to more than $53 billion.
