US Senate Passes $40Bln Ukraine Aid Bill, Sending Legislation to Biden for Finalisation

The US Senate on Thursday passed a $40 billion Ukraine aid bill, sending the legislation to the White House to be signed by President Joe Biden.

• Senate lawmakers passed the bill in a vote of 86-11, with the opposition coming from Republican Senators including Rand Paul and Josh Hawley, who expressed concerns about the legislation’s potential impact on the US economy and other domestic priorities.
• The House passed the legislation earlier in May in a vote of 368-57.

The legislation authorizes roughly $20 billion for the Defense Department to spend on security assistance for Ukraine, including the provision of military equipment. The bill would also provide almost $9 billion in economic assistance, over $4 billion in humanitarian aid and another $4 billion in foreign military financing through the State Department.

Last week, Paul delayed attempts to fast-track the bill, citing concerns about spending billions of dollars on Ukraine amid rising inflation and disrupted supply chains at home. Paul also attempted to insert oversight authorities into the legislation to keep track of the funding and weapons being sent to Ukraine.