US senators pass bill promising aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan; passes bill that could ban TikTok

The US Senate passed an emergency budget bill on Tuesday that includes additional aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

It had already passed the House of Representatives, and is set to be enacted after President Joe Biden signs it.

Ahead of the vote in Washington, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Let us not keep our friends around the world waiting for a moment longer.”

US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Today, the Senate faces a test, and we must not fail it.”

The Senators approved aid of more than 60 billion dollars, which Biden has already promised to sign into law. The legislation will allow officials at the Pentagon to ship military equipment within days. It will also allow US authorities to seize frozen Russian assets and transfer them to fund Ukraine’s recovery.

More than 26 billion dollars will be set aside to support the Israelis’ efforts to defend themselves against Iran and its proxies. The legislation also directs 8 billion dollars to efforts in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region to “counter” China.

Again, the US Senate has voted in favor of legislation that could lead to a nationwide ban on the popular video-sharing app TikTok said to have 170 million users in the US. Lawmakers are worried that the app could pose a security risk.

The Senate passed the bill by a bipartisan vote on Tuesday as part of a foreign aid package that includes additional military support for Ukraine. President Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law on Wednesday.

The bill, if signed, would ban TikTok if Chinese operator ByteDance does not sell it within 270 days. Biden could extend the deadline another 90 days.

There have been increasing concerns that the Chinese government could exploit the app to gain information. But some are opposed to a ban, arguing that it would infringe on rights to free expression.