Senate advances long-awaited aid for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and TikTok bill

The Senate on Tuesday advanced a package to provide billions in aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, sending the legislation on a glide path to become law after a rocky six months of political battles.

In a final tally of 80-19, senators passed a crucial procedural vote with wide bipartisan support, signaling that the foreign aid package has the strength to pass a final vote.

“The relentless work of six long months has paid off,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor following the vote.

Tuesday’s vote also starts the senators’ final debate clock, which will run for up to 30 hours unless they agree to hold the final vote earlier and get back to their regularly scheduled recess.

“I ask my colleagues to join together to pass the supplemental today as expeditiously as possible,” Schumer said Tuesday morning ahead of the vote. “Let us not delay this, let us not prolong this, let us not keep our friends around the world waiting for a moment longer.”

If the Senate officially passes the legislation in the final vote, it would then go to President Joe Biden, who already said he would sign it into law after the House passed the package as four separate bills on Saturday.

The funding includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine aid, $26 billion for Israel and $8 billion for Taiwan and Indo-Pacific security.