Staff Reports
House Speaker Mike Johnson presented his plan on Monday to provide help to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan separately this week. The Louisiana Republican is prepared to risk his position as speaker by pushing through aid for Ukraine. Despite concerns from some members of his party about his speakership, Mr. Johnson is focused on governing and fulfilling his duties. He expressed confidence in his plan and was undeterred by threats from fellow Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to remove him from his role over the Ukraine aid issue.
Mr. Johnson’s intention is to address the concerns of the more conservative members of the Republican party and those focused on national security. He aims to allocate billions of dollars in aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan through separate measures. This decision follows recent attacks from Iran on Israel in retaliation for an airstrike on its consulate in Syria.
Speaker Mike Johnson puts forth separate House measures on Ukraine and Israel this weekhttps://t.co/PIMADqsXdQ pic.twitter.com/BFY2EtWsqj
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) April 16, 2024
There is uncertainty about how the funding bills will proceed in the Senate. While the House is deliberating whether to combine the bills into one package or send them individually, the fate of the measures remains unclear. Republican Rep. Marcus Molinaro from New York praised Mr. Johnson for allowing a “very democratic process” for lawmakers to express their views and vote according to their beliefs and constituents’ wishes.
GOP Representatives are considering various options to finance Ukraine aid, such as implementing a loan program or supporting a bill proposed by Rep. French Hill of Arkansas that targets Russian funds held in foreign accounts. Speaker Johnson confirmed that there will also be votes on sanctions against Iran as part of the amendment process, expressing his belief that the final legislation will be satisfactory to everyone involved.
