This is what is in the US foreign aid package for Israel

This is what is in the US foreign aid package for Israel

The Senate approved a foreign aid package Tuesday that includes money for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region.

The House passed the aid package, in the form of four separate bills, on Saturday – months after the Senate first passed legislation with aid for Ukraine and Israel.

The new legislation, which will now be sent to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature, also includes several House GOP priorities, including sanctions on Iran, frozen Russian sovereign asset seizures and measures that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. .

Aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region adds up to about $95 billion – the same amount that would have been provided by a previous Senate bill passed in February – with the adjustment that $10 billion in economic aid to Ukraine is in the form of loans which can be reimbursed

Here’s what’s included in the foreign aid package, according to a summary provided by House Republicans:

Almost $61 billion for Ukraine
The legislation includes a total of nearly $61 billion to help Ukraine and others in the region fight Russia – about the same as included in the previous Senate bill.

Of that amount, about $23 billion will be used to replenish US weapons, stockpiles and facilities, and more than $11 billion will fund current US military operations in the region.

Nearly $14 billion included in the bill will help Ukraine buy advanced weapons systems and other defense equipment.

More than $26 billion for Israel
The package would provide $26.4 billion to aid Israel, stating that the funds are to support “its efforts to defend itself against Iran and its proxies, and to reimburse US military operations in response to recent attacks,” according to a legislative summary. that law

The funding includes $4 billion for the Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems and $1.2 billion for the Iron Beam defense system, which counters short-range rocket and mortar threats.

It will also provide $4.4 billion to increase defense goods and services provided to Israel and $3.5 billion for the procurement of advanced weapons systems and other items through the Foreign Military Financing Program. In addition, it would provide additional flexibility for the transfer of defense goods to Israel from US stockpiles held in other countries and would prohibit the transfer of funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, which supports Palestinian refugees and has drawn criticism after Israel was charged. some of its staff were involved in the Hamas attack on October 7.

Also included is $9.2 billion in humanitarian aid – including emergency food, shelter and basic services – to populations in crisis.

The previous Senate bill, by comparison, would have provided Israel with $14.1 billion in aid, including funds for missile defense systems and foreign military funding to help Israel re-establish territorial security and deterrence, and $9.2 billion in humanitarian aid.

More than $8 billion for Indo-Pacific security
The package includes $8.1 billion to counter China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific region. It includes $3.3 billion to develop submarine infrastructure, $2 billion in foreign military funding for Taiwan and other key allies, and $1.9 billion to increase defense goods and services provided to Taiwan and regional partners.

An earlier Senate bill contained almost identical provisions to improve security in the region.

Potential ban on TikTok
One hot-button provision of the package could lead to a possible nationwide ban on TikTok, the popular social media app with links to China.

An early version of the TikTok bill sailed through the House in March. By including it in the aid package, House Republicans hope to force a quick Senate vote on measures that supporters say are necessary to protect Americans’ personal data from the Chinese government. Opponents, including TikTok and various civil society groups, argue that the bill risks violating the First Amendment rights of TikTok users.

The law passed on Tuesday sets a nine-month deadline for the Chinese app’s parent, ByteDance, to sell the social media company. If it misses the deadline, TikTok will be banned from US app stores. The proposed time limit is longer than the approximately six months considered in the previous law. And it will give the president a choice of unto extend the deadline for another 90 days if he determines there is progress towards the sale.

The change appeared to be aimed at addressing concerns from some senators that the original six-month deadline might be too short.

Iran sanctions, Russian assets
The legislation also contains what House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul called “the most comprehensive sanctions against Iran Congress has passed in years.”

It would impose sanctions on ports and refineries that receive and process Iranian oil and on anyone involved in activities covered under UN missile sanctions on Iran that expired last year or in the supply or sale of Iranian missiles and drones. It will also further restrict the export of US goods and technology to Iran.

Additionally, the legislation would authorize the executive branch to seize and transfer frozen Russian assets held in the US to Ukraine to help it fight back and rebuild. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said that he is considering the measure – known as the REPO Act – as a way to help Ukraine.

Top Biden administration officials have also been working with G7 allies — including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union — to explore new strategies to help Ukraine, which would require congressional approval. Most of the Russian central bank assets frozen by the G7 and the EU are held by the EU, with the US only holding around $5 billion worth, officials told CNN.

In addition, the package would place mandatory sanctions on Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian terrorist groups.