By Gauri Patel
Staff Writer
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is pushing action to advance a long-sought foreign aid package while also facing threats of being ousted from his position if he does so. He unveiled a proposal on April 15 to separate the package into four votes for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with the last vote addressing other Republican foreign policy demands, according to Reuters.
Johnson has also weighed bringing to the floor a $95 billion foreign aid bill passed by the Senate in February that will support Ukraine, Israel and other allies, but later indicated that it will not be voted on in its current form. The four new House bills would provide roughly the same amount of aid as the previous Senate bill, according to Reuters.
In an interview with Fox News, Johnson stated that the House is expected to move forward with the new package, but it will have “important innovations.” Those innovations may include structuring a part of the funding for Kyiv as loans and provisions to redirect Russian sovereign assets that have been frozen, known as the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity Act. It may also include tying the passage of the aid package to legislation ending a hold on new liquefied natural gas export permits, according to The New York Times.
Johnson is facing divided support within the Republican party as ultra-conservatives remain staunchly opposed to providing aid to Kyiv, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). She introduced a motion last month to vacate Johnson’s position as speaker in protest of the passage of a large government funding package. While Greene has not taken steps to force a vote on the matter, she suggested that she will bring the motion up for a vote if Johnson advances the aid package, according to The Associated Press.
Although Johnson faces challenges from the hard right members of his party, other Republicans have expressed support for the aid package, insisting that the chamber must take action to support the U.S.’s allies. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told CNN that he remains hopeful that the bill will reach the floor of the House.
“We are the leader of the free world, and we cannot shirk on our responsibility to uphold and defend democracies across the globe,” Lawler, one of the package’s cosponsors, said. “I am hopeful that the speaker will put the bill on the floor or an amended version of the bill on the floor so that we can once and for all ensure that our allies have the aid and support that they need.”
However, many Republican and Democrat lawmakers who support the aid package have grown frustrated over the months-long wait to bring the previous Senate bill up for a vote given the urgency for aid in Ukraine. According to Reuters, some lawmakers believe the Senate bill would have passed in the House despite opposition from hard-right Republicans and also some Democrats, who believe funding for Israel would further deteriorate humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been facing manpower and ammunition shortages amid escalating Russian attacks, such as the missile and drone attacks on Trypilska thermal power plant, the largest power-generating facility in Kyiv. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence, with casualties mounting as Russian attacks target populated areas such as Mykolaiv and Odesa, according to The Associated Press. The situation is further complicated by the lack of trained soldiers capable of fighting, raising concerns about the country's ability to sustain its defense efforts, particularly as exhausted troops have no means of rotation for rest.
The U.S. aid proposal is not the only one that has been proposed. In February, the European Council approved a new financial assistance package for Ukraine for 2024 to 2027 which would include 53 billion euros in aid via grants and loans. Earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proposed a five-year, 100 billion euro package of military aid to Ukraine, which has drawn mixed responses. Hungary, the most pro-Russian country that is part of the alliance, has already voiced opposition to the plan, according to Reuters.
The new House bills could be voted on as soon as April 19, though discussions are ongoing about whether to merge the bills into one package to be sent to the Senate for approval.
