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US House of Representatives takes pause until February 28, aid to Kiev still not approved

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates slammed the decision, made by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), as "running away for an early vacation"

© Yegor Aleyev/TASS

WASHINGTON, February 16. /TASS/. The House of Representatives of the US Congress has started its recess without voting on supplemental aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, according to the lower chamber’s schedule.

Congressmen will resume their work on February 28.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates slammed the decision, made by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), as "running away for an early vacation."

"Every day that Speaker Johnson causes our national security to deteriorate, America loses. And every day that he puts off a clean vote, congressional Republicans’ standing with the American people plunges," he wrote in a statement, published by The Hill.

The package bill on aid to Israel and Ukraine was passed by the US Senate on February 8. The initiative implies allocation of over $95 billion of additional funding. Of those, $60.06 billion were proposed to spend on supporting Ukraine, $14.1 billion - to aid Israel. However, the document contains no provisions related to tougher security measures on the southern border of the United States.

House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said the bill ignores measures to tighten southern border controls, which he described as the most serious problem the US is facing at this point. Therefore, it would be definitely voted down, he added.

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Ukraine United States Israel Taiwan Military operation in Ukraine Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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