Biden urges House to take up Ukraine and Israel aid package: "Pass this bill immediately"

Washington — President Biden urged House Republicans to "immediately" take up a $95 billion foreign aid bill that includes assistance to Ukraine and Israel after the Senate passed the measure early Tuesday, saying that "there's no question" that it would pass if brought to the House floor.

"I call on the speaker to let the full House speak its mind and not allow a minority of the most extreme voices in the House to block this bill even from being voted on," the president said in remarks at the White House, which came hours after the Senate's 70-29 vote to approve the measure. "This is a critical act for the House to move."

Mr. Biden said the Senate "came together to send a message of unity to the world," adding that "it's time for the House Republicans to do the same thing, to pass this bill immediately."

The bill would provide tens of billions of dollars in aid to U.S. allies, including about $60 billion for Ukraine and $14.1 billion for Israel, along with around $9.2 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. A bipartisan group of senators coalesced around the package on Tuesday morning, propelling it to passage. But recent criticism from House Speaker Mike Johnson has thrown its prospects in the lower chamber into question. 

Mr. Biden urged Johnson to move forward with the legislation, saying "it needs to move" to provide "urgent funding for Ukraine so it can keep defending itself against Putin's vicious, vicious onslaught."

"This bipartisan bill sends a clear message to Ukrainians and to our partners and to our allies around the world — America can be trusted, America can be relied upon and America stands up for freedom," Mr. Biden said. "We stand strong for our allies, we never bow down to anyone, and certainly not to Vladimir Putin."

The president outlined two options for the House: standing up to the Kremlin by supporting the bill, or "playing into Putin's hands" by opposing the package.

"History is watching," Mr. Biden said. "Failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten."

Mr. Biden also took the opportunity to rail against former President Donald Trump for suggesting over the weekend that he wouldn't protect NATO member countries from Russia if they don't spend enough on defense. Mr. Biden said the comments had raised the stakes for American security and gave Putin an "invitation" to "invade some of our NATO allies." 

"The whole world heard it. And the worst thing is he means it. No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. And let me say this as clearly as I can — I never will," Mr. Biden said, calling the comments "dumb," "shameful," and "un-American."

"NATO is a sacred commitment. Donald Trump looks at this as if it's a burden," Mr. Biden said. "He doesn't understand that the sacred commitment we've given works for us as well." 

Mr. Biden said U.S. adversaries have "long sought to create cracks in the alliance," adding that "the greatest hope of all of those who wish America harm is for NATO to fall apart."

"And you can be sure that they all cheered when they heard Donald Trump," he said.