Final answer:
On April 13, 1948, Congress approved $12 billion in Marshall aid to help rebuild postwar Europe and combat the spread of communism following the shocking events in Prague.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Communist takeover in Prague indeed sent shockwaves through Washington, and as a response, Congress approved a significant amount of Marshall aid to counteract the spread of communism. Initially, the remaining European participants requested $29 billion in aid. President Truman, however, cut this down to $17 billion before presenting the request to Congress. Ultimately, Congress approved the Economic Cooperation Act in 1948 which allocated a total of $12 billion for European recovery (approximately $147 billion in today's money), known as the Marshall Plan.
The approval of the funds played a crucial role in rebuilding Western Europe’s infrastructure and industrial capabilities post-World War II. It also had the benefit of preventing a potential economic downturn in the U.S. by opening up new markets for American goods and creating stable democracies that would act as reliable anti-Communist allies.
Furthermore, the figures mentioned also connect to other aspects of U.S. foreign aid during this period, including the Truman Doctrine, which provided $400 million in support to Greece and Turkey to counteract potential Communist expansion.