President Joe Biden announced Tuesday night that he would sign the National Security package bill into law on Wednesday.
“Tonight, a bipartisan majority in the Senate joined the House to answer history’s call at this critical inflection point,” Biden announced in a press release. “Congress has passed my legislation to strengthen our national security and send a message to the world about the power of American leadership: we stand resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression.”
The Senate approved the legislation with a vote of 79-18 on Tuesday night. The bill will provide $95 billion in aid to Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine, and U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, Reuters reported.
“I will sign this bill into law and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week,” Biden said. “The need is urgent: for Ukraine, facing unrelenting bombardment from Russia; for Israel, which just faced unprecedented attacks from Iran; for refugees and those impacted by conflicts and natural disasters around the world, including in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti; and for our partners seeking security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was a vocal proponent of the bill. Before the vote Tuesday night, she took to the Senate floor to encourage its approval.
“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. “It will show our allies that our word is still good, and we will stand by them in times of need.”
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“It will show dictators that our warnings are still serious, and we will not let their flagrant attacks go unchecked,” Murray added. “And it will show the world that American leadership is still alive and well—that we are still a strong protector of democracy, and provider of humanitarian aid.”
Biden has been a staunch supporter for the bill and has called for its approval for weeks. He called it a piece of “critical legislation” that makes the world “more secure.”
“This critical legislation will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin,” Biden said.
