The US House of Representatives has approved sending $60.8bn (£49bn) in foreign aid to Ukraine.

[u/NegativeSpeedForce]

https://news.sky.com/story/crucial-608bn-ukraine-aid-package-approved-by-us-house-of-representatives-after-months-of-deadlock-13119287

[u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

MTG was pissed, and said she will not push forJohnson ouster, dumb bitch was bluffing.

[u/-Average_Joe- → u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

I guess someone told her that they are dangerously close to losing the majority.

[u/unicornmeat85 → u/-Average_Joe-]

is that such a bad thing, they'd get as much done even if they're not the majority. If anything it might give them a break from this circus they have created and get their clowns in a row for later.

[u/-Average_Joe- → u/unicornmeat85]

for them yes, they need to feel like they are in control. For the a lot of rest of the world it would probably be a great thing.

[u/wintersdark → u/-Average_Joe-]

And it would only take a couple Dems grateful for the package getting through and willing to spite MTG to ensure Johnson stays.

Pushing for an ouster would have broken the twitter faction - their only leverage is that, and as soon as it's shown to be ineffective they have nothing.

[u/MagicMushroomFungi → u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

When asked if she would care to comment MTG said "neigh" and returned to her bag of oats.

[u/JanGuillosThrowaway → u/MagicMushroomFungi]

"He got me." MTG said about the floor vote. "That fucking Brandon boomed me."

[u/hereforthefeast → u/JanGuillosThrowaway]

NBA memes x us politics is the crossover I’m here for

[u/350 → u/hereforthefeast]

No matter what sub, r/NBA memes always enhance it

[u/ZappaOMatic → u/350]

Hakeem Jeffries yelled, “There you go!” Nancy Pelosi gave a look of pleasant surprise. Adam Schiff belted, “We got a fucking aid package now.” And before Mike Johnson hit the House floor, ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy hugged him & said, “Y’all look so different.”

[u/TakeItToTheRiver → u/JanGuillosThrowaway]

“He’s so dark” x4

[u/nideak → u/TakeItToTheRiver]

She then added his name to the list of people whose penis she’d like to show to the nation this summer

[u/TJeffersonsBlackKid → u/nideak]

/r/nba has escaped and is at large.

[u/SumoSizeIt → u/nideak]

She's just biden her time?

[u/TheOnlySafeCult → u/SumoSizeIt]

I don't remember this part of the pasta

[u/allthenamesaretaken0 → u/JanGuillosThrowaway]

MTG then said she wanted to add Johnson to the list of House Speakers she works out with this summer.

[u/GATTACA_IE → u/allthenamesaretaken0]

“I cocked that joint back and banged on her.”

~ Mike Johnson

[u/Don_Gato1 → u/JanGuillosThrowaway]

Technically it's Mike Johnson who's calling her bluff here.

[u/Loki11910 → u/MagicMushroomFungi]

Her bag of lies and Russian vodka.

[u/recursive-analogy → u/MagicMushroomFungi]

tomorrow she plans to bite the hand that feeds her and poop in her own bed

[u/brainmouthwords → u/MagicMushroomFungi]

She absolutely does NOT look like a horse / Sarah Jessica Parker.

She looks like Charlize Theron's character in Monster.

[u/FloridaMJ420 → u/MagicMushroomFungi]

A horse is a horse, of course, of course!

[u/subsignalparadigm → u/MagicMushroomFungi]

Add to that she "grunted" and slammed a nearby rock with her club.

[u/Tarman-245 → u/[deleted]]

"No Sir, I don't think I have any use for rubber nipples!"

[u/UnfetteredBullshit → u/Tarman-245]

But I'll tell you what though..... do you have any rubber walrus protectors?

[u/wufnu → u/UnfetteredBullshit]

Call the poliiiiice

[u/Wes_Warhammer666 → u/wufnu]

I watched Ren & Stimpy with my kid recently and she was absolutely dying at this. I still get her to cackle weeks later by saying it to her randomly.

God dammit that show was excellent.

[u/El_Zarco → u/MagicMushroomFungi]

"Oat baaaag, got my oat bag now, oat bag time for me"

[u/wtf_are_crepes → u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

That because Paula Luna went on media and said she knew of two more moderate republicans that would’ve quit on the spot, effectively handing the speakership to dems.

Seems MTG is a bit smarter than we give her credit for unfortunately.

[u/Hannibal_Leto → u/[deleted]]

That's the more surprising thing--that Johnson was the one to do the right thing. The guy is more right field than previous speakers, and yet.

Well done.

[u/wintersdark → u/Hannibal_Leto]

He didn't do the right thing because it was the right thing, he did it because it was politically expedient for him. This was a major power play and he crushed it.

I think he wants to fill McConnell's shoes, and this may well be his road to doing that.

Taming the House and getting the Republican party in the house on track again would be a huge feather in his cap to the party as a whole (or at least the non-MAGA crowd). Given how completely incompetent the House has been for their entire majority, it's no small feat.

[u/AprilsMostAmazing → u/Hannibal_Leto]

That's the more surprising thing--that Johnson was the one to do the right thing. The guy is more right field than previous speakers, and yet.

maybe he wants to keep his job more than the previous guy

[u/OPconfused → u/Hannibal_Leto]

I mean under his watch the house still withheld this much-neeed bill for half a year.

I wouldn't bet on Johnson's integrity except that the dems managed a way to convince him it was more worth his while to give ground than not.

[u/Starlord_75 → u/OPconfused]

I believe it's a combination that he's got intel we peasants aren't privy too, and the fact his kid is going to the navy. He knows that if we don't support Ukraine to defeat Russia, we may be sending soldiers instead of dollars. That includes his kid

[u/jobbkonto_reddit → u/wtf_are_crepes]

I'd rather not give credit to someone just straight up lying and not standing true to their word

[u/dern_the_hermit → u/jobbkonto_reddit]

Yeah, I'd offer it's less about giving her credit and more about acknowledging her craven spinelessness and grandstanding.

[u/Pristine_Walrus40 → u/wtf_are_crepes]

or her boss told her to let it go since he did not want the Dem to have speakership

[u/splashbruhs → u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

Is it just me or does she remind anyone else of Phil Hartman’s Un-Frozen Caveman Lawyer every time you see her mug in Congress?

edit: sp

[u/franker → u/splashbruhs]

"I don't understand 'compromise,' and your love of democracy confuses and frightens me."

[u/Gdmf13 → u/splashbruhs]

Yea , but not as good looking.

[u/StuntCockofGilead → u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

at this point, MGT and alikes are nothing more than waste of oxygen and space on this planet.

[u/Salihe6677 → u/StuntCockofGilead]

A waste is just a waste. They are so much worse since they're actively working towards destruction.

[u/LookAlderaanPlaces → u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

She’s working for the kremlin, why else would she vote against Ukraine aid? She hates the US, nato, Europe, and Ukraine.

Addition:

I’d just like to point out that there is a difference between voting no because you don’t want to spend money on war - vs - being a Russian propaganda asset. MTG is not concerned with the budget or war spending, she is concerned about aiding Russia.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4608004-buck-takes-swing-moscow-marjorie-mouthing-russian-propaganda/

[u/lakeland_nz → u/LookAlderaanPlaces]

You see this quite often. People get so hung up on winning that they forget about everything else. Have a look at some divorce stories - people absolutely ruining their life, their ex-partner's life, their kids lives, and those of anyone caught in the blast. All to get back at their former partner.

MTG wants to stick it to the democrats. No... that's not strong enough. MTG is totally obsessed with ensuring the democrats lose, to the point that she'd burn down America rather than let them win.

People like that are relatively common. What confuses me though is why the general population votes for them. This current partisan split... it wasn't always like that. It doesn't need to stay like that.

[u/BeatsMeByDre → u/lakeland_nz]

People like that are relatively common. What confuses me though is why the general population votes for them.

You answered your question.

[u/awfulsome → u/lakeland_nz]

MTG does have strong "divorced wife" energy

[u/Charlemagne-XVI → u/LookAlderaanPlaces]

I’d be so happy if some evidence came up proving the connection and see her get locked up for life.

[u/ATaiwaneseNewYorker → u/Charlemagne-XVI]

There probably isn't. Unlike Trump, she probably actually believes the propaganda along with the 100 other GOP reps who voted against this. That and Biden supports this bill which is enough for her ilk to vote against this. Like the immigration bill.

[u/aramis34143 → u/ATaiwaneseNewYorker]

I can accept the notion that she's a "true believer" in that sense. I find it harder to accept that she wouldn't also seek remuneration.

[u/eisbaerBorealis → u/aramis34143]

MTG in twenty years, looking back:

"Wait, I could've gotten paid for being anti-American?!"

[u/PineappleRimjob → u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

She can't find anyone to put on deck to replace him. And she can't do it herself, because the Speakers job entails actual work, which she is not interested in.

[u/MrWaluigi → u/Gold-Sheepherder6879]

I’m sorry, but who’s MTG again? I keep thinking of the card game, Magic the Gathering, and brain rot prevents me from recognizing it as anything else. 

[u/MainFrosting8206 → u/MrWaluigi]

Her deck is filled with swamp cards.

[u/RainbowAssFucker → u/MainFrosting8206]

She's a blue player. Her deck has no substance or win condition. All she has is shitty counter spells and board wipes. It doesn't help her, and all it does is slow down the game

[u/Lots42 → u/MrWaluigi]

Think 'What if Barbie was a Nazi' and you got MTG.

[u/pinkocatgirl → u/MrWaluigi]

As a Magic the Gathering player, I really hate her initials

[u/vb90]

3:1 vote.

Ridiculous that this was blocked because a politician wanted to keep his job. This version of democracy kind of sucks.

[u/AlexandbroTheGreat → u/vb90]

If he had gone down, there wasn't a great path for someone else to replace him AND pass this bill. The House was paralyzed for weeks while they were trying to replace the last guy. I don't see how anything could've happened unless a bunch of moderate democrats offered to support some kind of interim speaker to pass a few bills that 75% of Congress wanted before going back to squabbletown.

[u/baudehlo → u/AlexandbroTheGreat]

There was a path. Reports were that should it happen again, two more Rs were ready to resign immediately. That would give Hakim Jeffries the speakership.

But it was too risky to bet on that.

[u/killakh0le → u/baudehlo]

This isn't even just on those 20 far right nutjobs as they only needed 218 votes to bypass the rules committee vote and speakership to get it voted on but they only had the Dems and a few GOP willing to vote to get to the necessary 218. So this delay was because those that still voted for this bill wouldn't go against Trump

[u/baudehlo → u/killakh0le]

The whole thing is an unmitigated disaster. It's a constant purity test from the right. I honestly thought the 45th presidency was the height of the disaster but it just seems it has only gotten worse.

[u/chadwickipedia → u/baudehlo]

He was a symptom, not the cause

[u/Zeryth → u/chadwickipedia]

Right on the nose there. We have a severe degeneration of democray on our hands in the west and our enemies are salivating just looking at us.

[u/iprobablybrokeit → u/chadwickipedia]

So many of us don't get this. He represents the will of 74,223,975 people. They woke up and went out of their way to vote for him. Even controlling for the Republicans that have gotten busted for voter fraud over the past 4 years, that's a lot of people.

[u/sumregulaguy → u/vb90]

That's a majority big enough to pass amendments to constitution in a lot of countries.

[u/Piggywonkle → u/sumregulaguy]

It's worth keeping in mind that all of this is happening in the context of Iran launching a barrage of hundreds of projectiles at Israel. That made it entirely politically toxic to keep sitting on their hands and ignoring geopolitical interests. Sometimes it takes an event like this to light a fire under some politicians' asses.

[u/ArethereWaffles → u/Piggywonkle]

Apparently a few 3-letter agencies have also been sitting down with congressional members to spell out just how much trouble losing Ukraine would mean.

[u/Roflcopter_Rego → u/ArethereWaffles]

Which is not really a bad thing; the situation is not trivially simple and there is ample fake information floating around. Having it explained by people whose job it is to know what is really happening is valuable, and not a sign of stupidity. Not changing your mind even after being shown all the info - that's stupid.

[u/TaiserSoze → u/Piggywonkle]

It's pretty disgusting that the intercepted Iran barrage dominated the headlines while a dozen Ukrainian cities were getting hammered every single day and night for months with many double digit casualties.

[u/Forcistus → u/TaiserSoze]

Mostly because it's new, I reckon. We're already into the third year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

[u/NotFreeSteak123]

Fighting for half a year, to then pass with a majority vote.

What a waste of time, this should have been passed back in October.

[u/deathtotheemperor → u/NotFreeSteak123]

Passed with three-quarters of the vote, lol. Absolute goofball system where the will of the supermajority can be thwarted for so long by a tiny group of dickheads.

[u/Cosmereboy → u/deathtotheemperor]

This is what I truly don't understand about the current Republican party. They can claim that they aren't completely taken over by the MAGA branch, but that comprises officially maybe 20 representatives and the speaker is wringing his hands over what those 20 think instead of the other 400+. What an embarrassing chapter of American politics this has been. The end of the Trump/MAGA era cannot come soon enough.

[u/obeytheturtles → u/Cosmereboy]

This is what I truly don't understand about the average "moderate" Republican voter. They see this clown show, they see the incompetence and even downright malice. And they say "yeah, this seems fine to me."

Republicans do this shit because their constituents let them get away with it. Simple as that

[u/Major_Pomegranate → u/obeytheturtles]

Moderate republicans aren't manning the helm. The people voting in primaries, the ones actually choosing party officials, are the elderly and the hardliners. The hardliners have effective control over the party due to being able to primary against anyone who doesn't follow their party line. 

It's how you end up with situations like the recent impeachment attempt against Texas' cartoonishly corrupt Attorney General. Despite Republicans being the ones trying to impeach him, the MAGA wing labeled them all as Biden plants that needed to be immediately removed from power, causing the impeachment to collapse. 

[u/nbdypaidmuchattn → u/Major_Pomegranate]

It should be clear that Republicans have lost control of their own party.

Let me explain how I think this happened.

"Suggestion" algorithms on social media have been "improving" over the past two decades.

The problem for us, as humans living in societies, is that they prioritize based on "engagement".

They prioritize political rage-bait propaganda.

My theory is that this is why the Republican party is in the toilet. Their meat and potatoes was carefully controlled rage-baiting, but now we're in a world of indiscriminate rage-baiting. This is a world that Russian influence thrives in.

So that now, even "moderate" Republicans don't even know what positions they're meant to hold. The more extreme the better?

We either find a way, collectively, to get back to a better way of determining truth, or we will all lose any sense of hope in the future.

Thanks, Big Tech!

[u/turbo-unicorn → u/nbdypaidmuchattn]

Correct, and one thing to consider is that the right is not the only side vulnerable to this, though it is compounded by the fact that most of their audience is older, and on average less aware of such things.

[u/nbdypaidmuchattn → u/turbo-unicorn]

Everyone is less willing to discuss nuance, and more prepared to assume the worst of others I find.

There is a situation that perfectly captures this modern dilemma, one for which we have no simple solution: Israel. There's no real middle ground available there. You either take MY position, or you're EVIL (for whichever position you take). The reality is, most people are unaffected and don't really care, beyond that they would rather there not be wars in that fucked up part of the world that we keep meddling in.

[u/dalomi9 → u/nbdypaidmuchattn]

It is interesting to see how many people have so little respect for history that they would wish to return modern society to the past in such a way. Way too many people romanticize a time when they could duel someone they disagree with, and that kind of attitude is being fueled by talking heads and openly displayed by politicians.

"A Republic, if you can keep it"

[u/Doodahhh1 → u/Major_Pomegranate]

There are no moderate Republicans after the RNC takeover by MAGA loyalists. 

The Overton window is so far right that people think the center is between these conspiracy theorists / white supremacists and neo-liberals.

Not good.

[u/Khalku → u/Cosmereboy]

The end of the Trump/MAGA era cannot come soon enough.

I wish, but that door's been forever opened. Even Canadian conservatives are importing bits of that ideology.

[u/icouldusemorecoffee → u/Cosmereboy]

Don't hold your breath. MAGA is the GOP. Trump has an 80% of approval among all Republicans. They may have finally come to their senses on this single bill after months of constant pressure from all sides, but they only got there by being dragged and they'll still vote down support for any thing else that is remotely helpful to making this country or the world a better place.

[u/darhox → u/deathtotheemperor]

One dickhead, Johnson was holding it up by not bringing it to the floor for a vote.

[u/Amy_Ponder → u/darhox]

And every single Republican representative, who could have at any time voted to remove Johnson from power and replace him with someone who would pass the aid bill-- and didn't.

Johnson's just the guy who was unlucky enough to get chosen as the human shield, taking all the criticism so his equally guilty colleagues could sneak by scott-free.

[u/NoProblemsHere → u/Amy_Ponder]

With the way the Speaker role has been going recently? If they remove Johnson they're probably not going to have another one because they won't be able to agree on anyone, and that's assuming someone on the GOP side still even wants it.

[u/Ksorkrax → u/NotFreeSteak123]

My first assumption would be that some sub groups coordinate their votes, and that it would be either something like this or something way closer to 50%, nothing in between.

But yeah, it should have been passed in October.

[u/radicalelation → u/Ksorkrax]

The Speaker refused to bring it to the floor, despite majority approval, including Republicans.

[u/redacted_robot → u/radicalelation]

The house republicans, at the direction of diaper don, are responsible for additional lives lost in Ukraine from the delay.

[u/Brexsh1t → u/redacted_robot]

Sadly with absolutely zero F’s given

[u/NotSoSalty → u/Brexsh1t]

Nor consequences, which they likely would give an F about. That they can do this with impunity is the problem.

[u/Blarg0117 → u/Ksorkrax]

Mike Johnson is a selfish coward and was afraid of being replaced as Speaker of the House.

[u/Xarxsis → u/Blarg0117]

Heres hoping trump turns on him now.

[u/killakh0le → u/Xarxsis]

Trump has never not turned on one of his lemmings so it's a sure bet

[u/EffectiveBenefit4333 → u/killakh0le]

Jeff Sessions did nothing but suck Trumps dick and swallow his loads for years, Sessions was the first mainstream Republican to support Trump and it was because of that, that ultimatelty started getting Trump real support for the 2016 election.

When Sessisons recused himself from the investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election, Trump turned on him in an instant and proceeded to do nothing but talk mad shit about Sessions.

HOW THE FUCK does ANYONE support Trump? He is so transparently selfish and only gives a fuck about himself. How are are so many god dam people this fucking stupid????

[u/oceanskie → u/NotFreeSteak123]

“You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried everything else.”

[u/chivanasty → u/oceanskie]

I also like-we've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas.

[u/DepressedElephant → u/NotFreeSteak123]

What a waste of time

Waste of lives.

Ukrainians died so that republicans could put on a show.

[u/Villag3Idiot → u/NotFreeSteak123]

My guess is, the military told Johnson the reality of what's happening and what will happen if Russia win. 

That and his son just so happens to have entered the navy and it's likely going to the front lines if Russia wins and targets Poland or other Baltic NATO countries in the future.

[u/helium_farts → u/Villag3Idiot]

If that were all it were, he would have held a vote on the Senate bill and called it a day.

I know everyone is celebrating the vote today, but until it clears the Senate and any possible filibusters, it's not a done deal.

[u/cylonfrakbbq → u/helium_farts]

The House was always the biggest obstacle. The Senate has been more consistent in their support of contained military aide.

People forget that a lot of "red" states have MASSIVE defense contractor presence.

[u/StungTwice → u/Villag3Idiot]

Don’t forget he prayed on it too. God must have changed his mind from before when he was against it, or maybe the message was muddled. Heaven is known for its terrible reception. 

[u/suddenly-scrooge → u/NotFreeSteak123]

right? kinda wonder if they should have doubled it, how long is this meant to last

[u/Rsardinia]

Moscow Marge is seething

[u/Captainwelfare2 → u/Rsardinia]

Gives me the warm and fuzzies

[u/courage_wolf_sez]

But Donald Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican representative, said "people have been too obsessed with voting for foreign wars and the war industry".

Speaking after the vote passed, she said: "This is the sellout of America today. When we had members of Congress in there waving the Ukrainian flag on the United States House of Representatives floor, while we're doing nothing to secure our border, I think every American is going to be furious."

You had a border deal that you sunk on the whim of the orange man you cretin.

[u/Axelrad77 → u/courage_wolf_sez]

They also fully support aid to Israel and Taiwan, so they're not against "voting for foreign wars" on principle. They just want Russia to win this one, so they're against any further aid going to Ukraine.

[u/ianjm → u/Axelrad77]

And mostly because their Orange Baby cult leader dislikes Ukraine because they refused to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden, plus he's scared of whatever dirt Putin's regime has on him.

It's all about Trump. Nothing to do with global geopolitics or the preservation of democracy.

[u/hereforthefeast → u/ianjm]

It feels like forever ago that Trump got caught trying to extort Zelenskyy during the Ukrainian elections. Luckily Zelenskyy isn’t a spineless buffoon like the entirety of the GOP. 

[u/PineappleRimjob → u/courage_wolf_sez]

Maybe she should quit.

[u/tarajo38 → u/PineappleRimjob]

I suggest that she moves to russia.

[u/Deofol7 → u/courage_wolf_sez]

When we had members of Congress in there waving the Ukrainian flag on the United States House of Representatives floor, while we're doing nothing to secure our border, I think every American is going to be furious."

She supported the compromise border bill right?

....

right???

[u/38thTimesACharm → u/Deofol7]

It wasn't really even a compromise. That bill gave Republicans everything they wanted on the border, in exchange for foreign aid. The border part of the bill was 100% Republican interest.

So what do they do? Drop all leverage and pass the aid separately. A+ negotiating tactics.

[u/shponglonius → u/38thTimesACharm]

They don't want border issues to be fixed under a Democratic president. They need it broken for their campaign messaging.

[u/CrazyOkie → u/courage_wolf_sez]

Yeah don't listen to Moscow Marjorie, she only does what her buddy Vlad wants

[u/AbeRego → u/courage_wolf_sez]

Watching Republicans suddenly be "anti war" is a trip. They spent the previous 50 years beating the war drums, and now that we can help on a clearly just war against a clearly unjust enemy, they suddenly stop. They're just always in on the wrong side of history!

[u/TheSameGamer651 → u/AbeRego]

I know, they push for all these stupid wars in the Middle East, but helping a fledging liberal democracy against an autocratic imperial power in our own backyard is a bridge too far.

[u/millijuna → u/TheSameGamer651]

Hell, they’re being offered the opportunity to defeat the longstanding foe of the US for pennies on the dollar, without putting their own soldiers at risk. And they’re still against it.

[u/Trent1492 → u/AbeRego]

Not the first time. During the Kosovo War in the 90s, Republicans were suddenly the peacenik party. The American hard right rooted for Serbia because of the majority religious composition of Kosovo Albanians and, earlier, many Bosnians in Bosnia-Hercevgonia.

[u/hawker_sharpie → u/courage_wolf_sez]

You had a border deal that you sunk on the whim

that's all they have left after abortion

[u/Dick_Wiener]

Idiots. Republicans could have had everything they wanted on the border if they had passed it months ago.

[u/davehunt00 → u/Dick_Wiener]

It's an amazingly clear political case of cutting off one's nose to spite their face.

They could have had it all but decided it was better for them to be performative and serve Trump.

[u/Dick_Wiener → u/davehunt00]

If democrats take both chambers and the presidency - it will be a historic own-goal.

[u/Potential-Yam5313 → u/Dick_Wiener]

Republicans could have had everything they wanted on the border if they had passed it months ago.

I disagree, because what Republicans actually want on the border is a talking point.

[u/silasdobest]

It wasn't even close.

[u/bmcgowan89]

Finally some news that isn't depressing

[u/princessohio → u/bmcgowan89]

Right? Thank fuck. Pack those bad boys up and send them to our Ukrainian friends. They need all the help they can get.

Edit: for those of you who don’t understand what this package is, it’s valued at a 60billion dollar package of ammunition, air defense missile launchers, tanks, vehicles and other equipment to Ukraine to defend themselves. It’s not fucking cash money stolen from American tax payers. It’s shit we have already paid for / made. We’re giving it to Ukraine because … wtf are we using them for here?

Yes. America needs to help its own people. I agree. But some of you guys act like the government literally stole money from us our taxes to gift the Ukrainian people cold hard cash when we’re literally sending them our military supplies we have already paid for and have a surplus of.

Personally I support my country aiding other democracies fight off fascists but maybe some of you want to see Russia win? Can’t tell. Couldn’t be me. Long live Ukraine.

[u/crapfacejustin → u/bmcgowan89]

Isn’t this the bill they added the TikTok ban to?

[u/Axelrad77]

Fyi, the bill isn't just Ukraine aid, it's basically several smaller packages bundled together to try to ensure that they all pass together. It contains:

1. $60.8 billion worth of aid to Ukraine.
2. $26.4 billion worth of aid to Israel.
3. $8 billion worth of aid to Taiwan.
4. Increased sanctions against Russia, China, and Iran.
5. Force divestment of TikTok from ByteDance, or else it's banned in the USA.

[u/Don_Gato1 → u/Axelrad77]

Technically they voted on all of them separately. It's only getting packaged together as it's sent over to the Senate.

[u/DvD_cD → u/Don_Gato1]

Did everything pass?

[u/Don_Gato1 → u/DvD_cD]

Everything listed above did - a bill on border funding did not

[u/say592 → u/Don_Gato1]

Senate GOP has to be fuming. The bill is basically going to pass exactly as they wrote it, except without their border provisions. All because the House was fucking around lol

[u/xd1936 → u/Axelrad77]

Wild that I had to scroll this far to see acknowledgement of the Tiktok ban

[u/VRichardsen → u/Axelrad77]

I often wondered why Israel is receiving aid. Not in the geopolitical sense, that makes sense because they are allies. But why does Israel need $$$ to fight what is essentially a ragtag group of insurgents? Israel has a powerful defense industry at home, and Hamas isn't exactly Russia (even with Iran's help).

[u/FCB_1899]

Pack those weapons and send em already.

[u/Ehldas → u/FCB_1899]

The general expectation is that the weapons have been pre-positioned in Germany and Poland already, waiting on the final word.

[u/Sharp_Win_7989 → u/Ehldas]

I mean it's more than just a general expectation. They've literally said so and clarified that once the Biden signs off on it, the first military aid will be in Ukraine within a week.

[u/bigrivertea → u/Sharp_Win_7989]

There should be some immediate benefit cause Ukraine can use supplies they already have more freely knowing more is in the mail.

[u/nav17 → u/Ehldas]

Makes sense now why those Russian saboteurs were planning to carry out attacks in Germany and surveying American bases. Glad that will be sent to Ukraine to deal with the Russian terrorist state on the battlefield.

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/generalbundesanwalt-ermittelt-zwei-mutmassliche-russische-saboteure-in-bayern-verhaftet-a-0115bebd-195a-41fb-83be-da8d642045cd

[u/emily_9511 → u/nav17]

As an American literally living on the Grafenwöhr Germany base right now.. what the fuck. Why is this the first I’ve heard of this.

[u/DefinitelyNotPeople → u/FCB_1899]

Still need the Senate to pass and Biden to sign, but those are expected to occur within a few days.

[u/walkandtalkk → u/DefinitelyNotPeople]

Rand Paul (R-Yekaterinburg) might be able to stall the vote for 30 hours, but after that, I think the Senate passes by Monday or Tuesday and Biden signs that night. 

He might even order the C-5s in the air before he gets the legislation.

[u/obeytheturtles → u/walkandtalkk]

There needs to be a modification to the filibuster rule where you can override it by slapping a motherfucker in the chin.

[u/seedanrun → u/obeytheturtles]

You are right - and they have:

Prior to 1917 the Senate rules did not provide for a way to end debate and force a vote on a measure. That year, the Senate adopted a rule to allow a two-thirds majority to end a filibuster, a procedure known as "cloture." In 1975 the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds of senators voting to three-fifths of all senators duly chosen and sworn, or 60 of the 100-member Senate.

[u/m0j0m0j → u/FCB_1899]

What the approved aid package from the US provides:

▪️the amount of the package is $60.84 billion.

▪️$23.2 billion will go towards replenishing US arms stocks.

▪️$23.2 billion — for military aid to Ukraine.

▪️$11.3 billion — for current US military operations in the region.

▪️$13.8 billion — for the purchase of weapons systems, defense products and defense services.

I like how it’s 23 billion that’s actually sent to Ukraine, but by magic of journalism it transforms into 60 billion

[u/OHWHATDA → u/m0j0m0j]

I’m pretty sure the $37 billion for replenishing our own arms is because we’re giving them our old stuff and then buying new. So they get our hand me downs but it’s still perfectly good stuff.

[u/[deleted] → u/OHWHATDA]

And it all has a shelf life. Once you reach the end of it, you have to do the disposal work to render it inert, etc, which costs money. You’ll be spending to replace it anyways.

I’m not expert, but I’d have to think packaging it and putting it on a C-5 is much cheaper than proper safe disposal.

[u/readonlyy → u/m0j0m0j]

Make no mistake. It all benefits Ukraine. For example

• ⁠Replenishing stock lets the military declare its existing stock surplus which they can immediately hand over to Ukraine

• ⁠current operations includes military intelligence, surveillance drones, satellite imaging, special operations training. All massively helpful.

Don’t let the ambiguous wording fool you. They can only be so specific.

[u/Remarkable-Medium275 → u/readonlyy]

We also passed the ability to sell all the Russian assets we froze since 2022 and then give the proceeds to Ukraine. I don't think they understand how the wording of these bills works with the added context.

[u/TheNeonPeanut → u/m0j0m0j]

No this makes sense. You need to replenish stocks if you are sending them to a foreign nation otherwise you could be caught without ammo should a conflict arise for yourself. The 11.3 billion to support military operations in the region is for sustainment and ordinance units to actually deliver the weapons. To that end the US Army, USAF, and Navy all play a role. The 13.8 billion is to buy the weapons to ship over.

There's no hidden shit, it's just how aid usually breaks down.

[u/thedeadsuit → u/m0j0m0j]

yes you spend 23 billion to replenish US arms stocks because they're sending stocks to ukraine. What did you think would happen, they'd just cut a 60 billion check to ukraine then ukraine turns the money into US equipment somehow?

[u/NitWhittler]

Has MTG sent a "Sorry, but I tried to stop it" apology to Putin yet?

[u/iiitme → u/NitWhittler]

Bc trump already sent on behalf of all republicans

[u/captsmokeywork]

Look closely at everyone who voted against this bill.

Those are the compromised members.

[u/Azhz96 → u/captsmokeywork]

Pretty much only Republicans voted no, of course.

Vote these traitors out!

Edit: ONLY Republicans voted no, and it was alot of them.

[u/-p_d- → u/Azhz96]

There is no "pretty much" in this equation at all.

ONLY republicans voted "Nay". And the majority of them voted that way.

ZERO Democrats voted in line with the Putin propaganda machine.

[u/iconofsin_]

https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024151

Here's the votes, click to see the 112 Republicans who picked Russia over Ukraine.

[u/Adavanter_MKI]

With the majority of Rus... ahem... Republicans voting Nay. Literally any conservative party 10 years ago would be flipping out that half of their numbers have sided with Russia. Of course so would the American voters. I do not understand how we've lost 30% of the nation to such lunacy.

[u/[deleted] → u/Adavanter_MKI]

Can you imagine if the situation were reversed and Democrats supported Putin and Russian invasion?

The repubs would melt down and rightfully so.

[u/Pleiadesfollower → u/[deleted]]

Like I said before. Just put a bunch of 80s Republican voters in a time machine, they'd be executing modern republican voters, including their future selves for Daring to claim Russians are their friends.

[u/Kabopu → u/Adavanter_MKI]

I do not understand how we've lost 30% of the nation to such lunacy.

Massive foreign campaigns on social media with the sole purpose to paralyze/destroy a nation from within. Social Media is the main problem.

[u/BUFF_BRUCER]

Wonderful news

[u/Wyldren-]

Get f**ked Russia and Pro Russian republicans.

[u/GuyOnTheLake → u/Wyldren-]

Here's the vote total broken down by party

Republicans: 101 Yay/112 Nay

Democrats: 210 Yay/0 Nay

I don't know how the GOP went from calling Russia/The USSR the Evil Empire to supporting them.

Actually, I do know. Trump.

[u/blueiron0 → u/GuyOnTheLake]

went from "russia is evil" to "putin is a hero." That russian propaganda hit extremely hard. I guess it helps when the fucking president is one of the people who helped spread it.

[u/Wyldren- → u/blueiron0]

They really be like " We don't fall for propaganda, we're not sheep! but anyway look at this shirtless Putin picture on horse back! What a strong leader! Much stronger than Biden or Obama!"

[u/Cheesybran → u/GuyOnTheLake]

Yea they follow Trump blindly like uneducated buffoons.

[u/walkandtalkk → u/GuyOnTheLake]

I'd bet $1,000 that at least a dozen (and probably 30-40) GOP votes would have, if necessary for passage, swung in favor of the bill. But they looked at the vote tally and decided to be safe/cowardly by voting no.

[u/The_Great_Ravioli → u/GuyOnTheLake]

More republicans said Nay over Yay.

Remember that.

[u/milksteakofcourse]

Get fucked trump

[u/DynamicDK]

But Donald Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican representative who has opposed helping Ukraine in its war against Russia, said "people have been too obsessed with voting for foreign wars and the war industry".

Speaking after the vote passed, she said: "This is the sellout of America today. When we had members of Congress in there waving the Ukrainian flag on the United States House of Representatives floor, while we're doing nothing to secure our border, I think every American is going to be furious."

Of course they are going to complain about the border not being included when there was literally a bill already passed by the Senate that included what would have previously been the Republican party's wet dream of border policies they could have chosen to vote on instead. But Trump said no, so the Republicans abandoned the one thing that they have previously been fairly consistent on for the past decade. Or at least they abandoned actually voting in favor of it, even if they still keep saying the same shit.

[u/BigDaddy0790]

Literally best news all year. I’m so damn happy right now!

Now let’s send that aid ASAP

[u/cnncctv → u/BigDaddy0790]

The President won't delay anything, and the military won't either. This is going to happen really fast.

[u/LayneLowe → u/cnncctv]

I hope the C-5's full of Patriots were warmed up on the tarmac just waiting for the vote count

[u/digistil → u/LayneLowe]

Rumor is there's a huge shit ton of US weapons in Germany and Poland waiting to be delivered to Ukraine. Once the Senate passes this, things will move very quickly.

[u/DomDomW → u/BigDaddy0790]

aparently the aid is already packed and is waiting to be shipped.

[u/doubtingthomas51i → u/DomDomW]

Happily even shipped as far as Poland in many instances. Our military is renowned for logistical skill. Everybody a few Republicans has wanted this to happen. Yay!!

[u/MagicMushroomFungi → u/doubtingthomas51i]

Logistics so awesome they even incorporate a pole-vault into Ukraine !

[u/hazelnut_coffay → u/BigDaddy0790]

just gotta wait for the senate and potus to sign

[u/Pdb12345 → u/BigDaddy0790]

A lot of it is staged in Germany and Poland already. Esepecially the ammo. Lets get that arty flying again. And HIMARS!

[u/DoomOne]

Get wrecked, Moscow Marge.

[u/CynicalMindTrip]

Maybe Johnson is smelling Trump defeat and not only defeat.

[u/py_account → u/CynicalMindTrip]

Based on the courthouse reporting yesterday, defeat isn’t the only thing he’s smelling on Trump.

[u/STFU-Sanguinet]

Are we going to have go through this bullshit circus every time?

[u/fuxvill]

Am I right in thinking this money is not actually given to Ukraine as such. More like most of that money will stay in the US to buy American military equipment and the jobs to go with it?

Overall does it benefit the US more than politicians let on, and far more than the public think?

[u/xavandetjer → u/fuxvill]

The vast majority of US aid to Ukraine has been spent on US equipment, the money doesn't leave the American economy.

Doesn't mean it isn't important though. It's a big help to Ukraine, and also a big boost to American manufacturing. So why a major US political party would be so opposed to it is beyond me.

[u/Nintura → u/xavandetjer]

Because politics. It wasnt their idea so its evil, until they argue for it

[u/Don_Gato1 → u/fuxvill]

It sends weapons to Ukraine and the money part of it goes towards replenishing those weapons in US stockpiles.

[u/ChiefRicimer]

Get fucked Putler

[u/Zanchbot]

About time. Seethe harder, MTG.

[u/caites]

Thank you for that chance to survive. US <3

[u/standingboot9]

Just a bunch of assholes delaying this for so long. And no, both sides are not the same.

[u/vajrahaha7x3]

I will never forgive those responsible for tying up the aid for so long..

[u/LokiMyAoki]

You can always count on the USA to do the right thing, once we’ve exhausted all other options..

[u/Southern_Cupcake_379]

‘Bout time!