Florida lawmakers react to foreign aid package's passage, and students at Eckerd College discuss Biden's abortion speech in Tampa.

Biden signs Ukraine, Israel aid bill into law: 'It’s going to make America safer'

President Joe Biden on Wednesday said the U.S. will begin sending military equipment to Ukraine in the "next few hours" after a foreign aid bill cleared its last congressional hurdle Tuesday night following a monthslong standoff in the House. 

Biden signed the $95 billion bill — which contains assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies, including Taiwan, as well as humanitarian assistance for Gaza — on Wednesday. The legislation would also force a ban of the social media app TikTok if its China-based parent company, ByteDance, does not divest itself. 

"It's gonna make America safer, it's gonna make the world safer, and it continues America's leadership in the world," Biden said during remarks at the White House on Wednesday, hailing it as "a good day for world peace."

The bill passed the Senate Tuesday night in a 79-18 vote after the House cleared the legislation — split up into four different bills — over the weekend. Tuesday night’s passage ended months of gridlock in Congress over the foreign aid, as some, particularly in the House GOP’s right flank, pushed back on the U.S. providing any additional aid to Ukraine. 

“For months, while MAGA Republicans were blocking aid, Ukraine has been running out of artillery shells and ammunition," Biden said on Wednesday. "Meanwhile, Putin's friends are keeping (him) well supplied — Iran sending drones; North Korea sending ballistic missiles and artillery shells; China is providing components and know-how to boost Russia's defense production."

For months, Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned of what they described as dire consequences of abandoning Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion. The president had originally requested Congress approve more aid for the country more than six months ago. Its approval on Tuesday marks a major victory for Biden and the Senate leaders. 

“The path to my desk was a difficult path. It should have been easier and it should have gotten there sooner,” Biden said. “But in the end, we did what America always does: We rose in the moment, came together, we got it done."

“Now we need to move fast,” he said. 

Almost immediately after the bill’s passage, the Department of Defense on Wednesday announced a $1 billion package for Ukraine containing air defense interceptors, artillery rounds, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons. 

“I’m making sure the shipments start right away,” Biden said. 

Biden made the case the package is a “good investment” in America’s own security, noting the weapons going to Ukraine will replaced with weapons made in the U.S. 

“Patriot missiles made in Arizona; javelins made in Alabama; artillery shells made in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas,” Biden said. “In other words, we're helping Ukraine while at the same time investing in our own industrial base.” 

The president thanked congressional leaders for their support, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, a move that led to a handful of right-wing Republicans threatening to unseat him like they previously did to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The senate vote on the foreign aid package was 79 to 18

With 15 Republicans, two Democrats, and one Independent voting against the measure.

Both of Florida’s senators were among them, and they listed the same reasons for not joining the 31 Republicans who sided with the majority.

“While this invasion of Ukraine most certainly poses a national security interest to the united states and a risk to our country, the invasion of America across our southern border is even more important,” Sen. Marco Rubio said.

Sen. Rick Scott posted on X: “It makes zero sense for the U.S. to borrow billions to send in unaccountable aid to Ukraine to pay Ukrainian politicians’ salaries and secure their border while ours remains totally open. Biden’s invasion of criminals and terrorists is a national security disaster."

In February, both senators also voted to block bipartisan legislation that would have both boosted border security and provided aid for Ukraine and Israel.

Both senators disagreed with the deal, saying it did nothing to remove the millions of migrants already here illegally, authorized 250,000 green cards, and expanded humanitarian parole.

Scott and Rubio both say the president has the power to secure the border right now by re-instating the Trump-era policies Biden revoked at the beginning of his presidency.

Supreme Court appears skeptical that state abortion bans conflict with federal health care law

Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Wednesday that state abortion bans taking effect after their sweeping ruling overturning Roe v. Wade violate federal health care law, though some also questioned the effects on emergency pregnancy care.

The case marks the first time the Supreme Court has considered the implications of a state ban since overturning the nationwide right to abortion. It comes from Idaho, which is among 14 states that now ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy with very limited exceptions.

The high court has already allowed the state ban to go into effect, even in medical emergencies, and it was unclear whether members of the conservative majority were swayed by the Biden administration's argument that federal law overrides the state in rare emergency cases where a pregnant patient's health is at serious risk.

The Justice Department says abortion care must be allowed in those cases under a law that requires hospitals accepting Medicare to provide emergency care regardless of patients' ability to pay.

Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the decision overturning Roe v. Wade, was doubtful.

“How can you impose restrictions on what Idaho can criminalize, simply because hospitals in Idaho have chosen to participate in Medicare?” he said.

Justices on the high court's liberal minority, meanwhile, aired arguments that Idaho's law was putting women's health at risk.

“Within these rare cases, there’s a significant number where the woman’s life is not in peril, but she’s going to lose her reproductive organs. She’s going to lose the ability to have children in the future unless an abortion takes place,” said Justice Elena Kagan.

The Biden administration argues that even in states where abortion is banned, federal health care law says hospitals must be allowed to terminate pregnancies in rare emergencies where a patient’s life or health is at serious risk.

Idaho contends its ban has exceptions for life-saving abortion, but allowing it in more medical emergencies would turn hospitals into “abortion enclaves.” The state argues the Biden administration is misusing a health care law that is meant to ensure patients aren't turned away based on their ability to pay.

The Supreme Court has allowed the Idaho law to go into effect, even during emergencies, as the case has played out. It makes performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Dueling protests were taking shape outside the court before the start of arguments on Wednesday. “Abortion saves lives,” read signs displayed by abortion rights supporters. Opponents displayed a sign that read, “Emergency rooms are not abortion clinics.”

Doctors have said Idaho’s abortion ban has already affected emergency care. More women whose conditions are typically treated with abortions must now be flown out of state for care, since doctors must wait until they are close to death to provide abortions within the bounds of state law.

Meanwhile, complaints of pregnant women being turned away from U.S. emergency rooms spiked after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to federal documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Anti-abortion groups blame doctors for mishandling maternal emergency cases. Idaho argues the Biden administration overstates health care woes to undermine state abortion laws.

The justices also heard another abortion case this term, which seeks to restrict access to abortion medication. It remains pending, though the justices overall seemed skeptical of the push.

The Justice Department originally brought the case against Idaho, arguing the state’s abortion law conflicts with the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, known as EMTALA. It requires hospitals that accept Medicare to provide emergency care to any patient regardless of their ability to pay. Nearly all hospitals accept Medicare.

A federal judge initially sided with the administration and ruled that abortions were legal in medical emergencies. After the state appealed, the Supreme Court allowed the law to go fully into effect in January.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of June.

Eckerd College students react to President Biden’s Tampa visit

Eckerd College Political Science Professor Tony Brunello allowed Spectrum News to attend his class on Tuesday which coincided with President Joe Biden’s visit to Tampa to highlight his support for abortion rights.

“How many of you are surprised that President Biden is actually visiting Florida as a campaign stop at this point?” Brunello asked the class. “Is he wasting his trip?”

Student Madison Gley responded: “No … I definitely think it’s worth the trip reaching out to those people and getting a face-to-face interaction and him talking about his agenda. So, our citizens can really understand his plan.”

Three women students, all 20 years old and all independent or no-party-affiliation voters agreed to talk about the abortion issue on the November ballot and Biden’s visit.

Student Erin Flynn said it’s important for Biden to visit the Bay area to show his support for abortion rights as Florida’s six-week abortion ban goes into effect on May 1.

“I think Ron DeSantis has kind of dimmed everyone’s feelings lately and we’re kind of feeling hopeless,” she said. “I think with Joe Biden coming, it’ll be real good to hear his agenda and for people to think more about it.”

Student Noel Huchel Sullender said she plans to vote for Amendment 4 on the November ballot, which would enshrine abortion rights in the Florida  Constitution.

“Sometimes you need that health care. That is, in my opinion, that should be a woman’s right,” she said. “That is a health care, right? So, I think that is a huge issue.”

Student Angela Redman said it’s smart for Biden to highlight and contrast his position with former President Donald Trump, whose appointment of three Supreme Court justices overturned federal abortion protections.

“I think it’s really about the intrusion on our privacy and our intrusion on choice,” she said. “It’s not very fair to think that you are morally correct whilst taking away the choice of others.”

Professor Michael Binder, who is director of the public opinion research lab at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, said Republicans have nearly 1 million more registered voters than Democrats. Amendment 4 must get at least 60% of the vote to be approved, and Binder predicted that it will fail.

“We’ve seen it pass in red states, but we’ve never seen it get to 60%. I think that’s going to be a much harder one to get across the 60% line,” he said. “Not every 21-year-old college student is this big lefty liberal type, right? I have plenty of conservatives in my class that feel differently about these issues than you might expect.”

Binder said abortion rights are a positive issue for the Democratic ticket and it was a wise move for Biden to visit Tampa to highlight it.

Flynn agreed that it will be difficult to get the proposed amendment over the 60% threshold needed for the amendment to be approved, but said she is hopeful.

“We have a voice, we have a say,” she said. “We are the generation that chooses what happens in our government.”