From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Biden urges Congress to pass Israel, Ukraine aid bills quickly
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US President Joe Biden is urging Congress to swiftly pass legislation on a long-delayed supplemental aid package for Ukraine and Israel so he can sign it into law “immediately.”
“I strongly support this package to get critical support to Israel and Ukraine, provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, and bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” Biden says.
“Israel is facing unprecedented attacks from Iran, and Ukraine is facing continued bombardment from Russia that has intensified dramatically in the last month,” the president adds. “The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow. I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed.”
US House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, facing a mutiny from within his Republican Party for pushing aid for Ukraine, says the House will vote on the packages Saturday.
