House Speaker Mike Johnson pushes towards a vote on aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing toward action this week on aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, unveiling an elaborate plan Monday to break the package into separate votes to squeeze through the House’s political divides on foreign policy.
Facing an outright rebellion from conservatives fiercely opposed to aiding Ukraine, the Republican speaker’s move on the foreign aid package was a potentially watershed moment, the first significant action on the bill after more than two months of delay. But Johnson’s intention to hold four separate votes on parts of the package also left it open to being significantly altered from the $95 billion aid package the Senate passed in February.
It’s unclear if the House could end up with a package that is similar to the Senate’s bill or something significantly different, which could complicate the months-long, painstaking effort to get Congress to approve military funding for Ukraine.
“We will let the House work its will,” Johnson told reporters.
But as the House has struggled to act, conflicts around the world have escalated. Israel’s military chief said Monday that his country will respond to Iran’s weekend missile strike. And Ukraine’s military head warned over the weekend that the battlefield situation in the country’s east has “significantly worsened in recent days,” as warming weather has allowed Russian forces to launch a fresh offensive.
“There are precipitating events around the globe that we’re all watching very carefully and we know the world is watching us to see how we react,” Johnson said.
President Joe Biden, hosting Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the White House, called on the House to take up the Senate funding package immediately. “They have to do it now,” he said.
Johnson and Biden spoke Monday, according to a person familiar with the call and granted anonymity to discuss it.
Democrats in the House could be open to helping Johnson pass the aid in parts, and may even be agreeable to some of the additional measures being discussed by Republicans, such as providing some of the Ukraine economic assistance as loans.
But Johnson would lose the Democratic support he needs if he strays too far into Republican-only priorities. Any overhaul to the package also risks setbacks in the Senate, where a bulk of Republicans oppose the aid for Ukraine and Democrats have become increasingly alarmed at Israel’s campaign in Gaza.
As House members returned to the Capitol Monday evening, Johnson huddled with fellow GOP lawmakers to lay out his strategy to gain House approval for the funding package. He said he would push to get the package to the House floor under a single debate rule that allows for separate votes on aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other foreign policy proposals.
