The House on Thursday cleared legislation to revive the World War II-era lend-lease program in an effort to streamline the process for the United States to send military aid to Ukraine.
The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022, spearheaded by GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, passed the House 417-10. It would update a 1941 law, aimed at helping Great Britain while the United States was neutral in WWII, to remove certain reimbursement requirements and allow equipment leases for more than a five-year period of time.
The measure passed the Senate in a voice vote earlier this month. The measure now goes to President Joe Biden for his expected signature.
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Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle applauded the bill’s passage amid calls for swifter action to aid Ukraine, which is facing its third month of unprovoked attacks from Russia.
“It is vital that the U.S. does everything possible to get the necessary weapons to Ukraine and our eastern European partners to defend against Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking Republican Michael McCaul of Texas in a statement. “With this bill, we are standing with the generations of Ukrainians impacted by this devastation. I commend Rep. Joe Wilson for introducing this important legislation and Sen. John Cornyn for leading this effort in the Senate.”
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for NATO nations to provide further assistance in the war.
The House cleared the measure on the same day the Biden administration requested that Congress pass legislation to provide an additional $33.4 billion in aid to Ukraine.
