April 19, 2024

Democrats helped Republican leaders advance legislation to provide billions in stalled security funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, steering the measures closer toward passage this weekend. Via CBS News:

After about nine hours of recess, the House Rules Committee reconvened late Thursday night and moved GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson's foreign aid bills on a 9-3 vote, thanks to the votes of all four Democrats who sit on the committee: Ranking Member Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse and New Mexico Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández.

The conservative Republican hardliners on the committee — Reps. Tom Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Chip Roy of Texas — all voted against the rule, because border security was not being paired with foreign aid. However, the speaker is putting what he said is an "aggressive" border bill to a vote Friday morning. It failed to pass out of the Rules Committee, but the House will consider it under a suspension of the rule, which means it will require two-thirds support to pass.

[...] The three foreign aid bills would provide $26.4 billion to support Israel, $60.8 billion to bolster Ukraine and $8.1 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, including billions for Taiwan. The Israel bill also includes more than $9.1 billion to address humanitarian needs, which Democrats said was necessary for their support.

The House is expected to vote on the bill this weekend.

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