The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a sweeping $95 billion national security bill that includes long-delayed aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, along with humanitarian aid for Palestinians, sanctions on Iran and measures that could lead to a federal ban of TikTok if its Chinese parent company doesn’t sell the popular app.
The legislation got support from most Northwest lawmakers.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Tuesday she was glad to see the legislation emerge from the House, calling it “materially identical” to the original package that she helped craft as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
That earlier bill didn’t include the language to force the sale of TikTok, which was borrowed from a bill the House passed in March.
“At a time when the world is watching and wondering if the U.S. is still capable of meeting the challenges before us, if we are still united enough to meet them, this package won’t just send aid — it will send a message,” Murray said in a speech on the Senate floor. “It will show our allies that our word is still good, and we will stand by them in times of need.”
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Idaho GOP Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch also voted for the package, which passed by a vote of 79-18.
All 10 of Washington’s House lawmakers voted to send more than $60 billion to Ukraine, including GOP Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Spokane and Dan Newhouse of Sunnyside.
“As the Russian government issues threats against free nations, I am proud to have supported the aid package to protect against these authoritarians that threaten the free world,” Newhouse said in a statement, linking the support for Israel, Ukraine and other U.S. allies. “This is a step that strengthens America’s place on the world stage and gives our allies around the world the upper hand against those that wish us harm.”
The second-biggest part of the funding, about $26 billion, is dedicated to sending arms to Israel and providing humanitarian relief to civilians in Gaza.
That component drew the support of all but 21 Republicans and 37 Democrats. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, was the only Washington lawmaker to vote against it.
About $8 billion will go to U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, to counter China’s influence in the region. That measure drew even wider support. No Democrat opposed that funding, most of which will go to developing submarines and replenishing stocks of weapons the United States has provided to its allies.
The fourth piece of legislation to pass the House includes provisions to force ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to sell the popular social media platform or face a de facto ban in the United States.
It would also authorize the president to seize Russian assets held in U.S. banks and use them to fund reconstruction in Ukraine, along with sanctions on fentanyl traffickers, as well as Iran and its proxies, including Hamas in Gaza.
Jayapal and Rep. Rick Larsen of Everett were among 33 Democrats who opposed those measures, along with 25 Republicans.
A fifth piece of legislation, virtually identical to a border security bill House Republicans passed in 2023, fell short of the two-thirds vote needed to be added to the package despite the support of every Republican and five Democrats, including Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez of Southwest Washington.
Biden has indicated he will sign the legislation quickly.
The bill doesn’t include spending cuts, tax increases or other measures to pay for the spending. But in a statement Saturday, McMorris Rodgers said, “Peace through strength comes at a cost, and it’s one our nation has always been willing to pay. American leadership matters, which is why we continued that honorable tradition today and sent a clear message to our adversaries in the process: America is not backing down.”