Mike Johnson sticks by Ukraine aid plan, setting up showdown with conservatives while his job's at risk
WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced on Wednesday morning that he's sticking by his original plan to provide foreign aid to key U.S. allies, a move that's already inciting conservative fury.
The House is slated to take up three national security-focused bills that include funding for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific on Saturday. A fourth bill is set to include other GOP priorities – such as provisions to seize Russian assets to distribute them to Ukraine and to force TikTok's Chinese parent company to sell it or face a practical ban in the United States.
The lower chamber is expected to vote on all four bills on Saturday evening. President Joe Biden released a statement Wednesday saying he "strongly" supports the House aid package and urging both chambers to pass it as soon as possible.
Johnson’s decision comes after a day of dithering on Tuesday as conservatives pressured the speaker to change the plan surrounding the four bills to include spending cuts and changes to border and migrant policy. The speaker met with GOP lawmakers for over three hours late Tuesday evening to discuss the path forward.
But Johnson isn't completely ignoring ultraconservative lawmakers in the House. In what appears to be a move to placate his right flank, Johnson announced the House will also vote on a separate bill that resembles Republicans’ sweeping, hardline immigration and border legislation known as H.R. 2.
Johnson's peace offering, however, appears to have done little to appease conservatives.
“One word: UNACCEPTABLE!!” conservative hardliner, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told USA TODAY in a text message.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, another ultraconservative lawmaker, immediately came out in a post on X, formerly Twitter, against the plan. He announced he would vote against a procedural step to allow the bills to go to the House floor, criticizing the separate border bill as a “watered-down dangerous cover vote.”
Conservatives have often shot down procedural “rule” votes to express their displeasure with leadership, a step that effectively freezes the lower chamber. Roy likely won’t be the only conservative to attempt to stop the bills from going to the floor, which means Johnson may need the help of House Democrats to get the foreign aid package over the finish line this weekend.
Johnson is also expected to almost certainly face a removal threat from conservatives Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who have become disillusioned with the speaker for even entertaining negotiating with Democrats.
Greene and Massie have refused to offer up a timeline for when they would call up a vote to remove Johnson, but have signaled that should Johnson put Ukraine aid up for a vote – an issue a growing number of conservative lawmakers have balked at – they'll move to oust him.
Some centrist Democrats have indicated they're willing to rescue Johnson and vote to save his speakership should there be a vote of no confidence on the floor, but it is unclear if the Republican speaker would accept support from Democrats.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Johnson sparks showdown with Republicans over Ukraine, Israel aid
