Speaker Pushes Forward With Foreign Aid Package Despite Challenges

House Speaker Mike Johnson, faced with a tough decision between retaining his position or supporting aid for Ukraine, is moving forward towards a vote later this week on a funding package that includes assistance for Israel and Taiwan.

After much deliberation over how to proceed with the package, the Republican speaker informed GOP lawmakers that he will initiate a series of votes on three funding packages for Ukraine, Israel, allies in the Indo-Pacific, and other foreign policy proposals in a fourth bill.

Johnson suggested structuring some of the aid for Ukraine as loans with increased oversight, a decision that has upset conservative members of the House and sparked threats of removing him from the speaker’s office.

“By promptly posting the text of these bills upon completion, we will allow for a thorough amendment process,” Johnson stated in a message shared by two Republican lawmakers.

The votes on the package are scheduled for Saturday evening, according to Johnson.

The speaker is likely to require Democrat support for the procedural steps necessary to advance his elaborate plan of holding separate votes on each aid package.

It remains uncertain whether Democrats will cooperate with Johnson as they are still waiting for details of the legislation and have grown impatient with his decision-making process.

Democrats have insisted that the foreign aid bill align closely with a $95 billion foreign aid package passed by the Senate in February, which would fund U.S. allies and provide humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the threat of ousting Johnson by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., gained momentum this week, with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., joining Greene and calling for Johnson’s resignation. Other GOP lawmakers have openly criticized Johnson’s leadership.

In an attempt to appease conservatives, Johnson announced a separate vote on a border security package that largely mirrors a previously passed House Republicans bill from last year. However, conservatives have dismissed this plan as inadequate, with Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, labeling it a “total failure.”

As part of the foreign aid initiative, Johnson also mentioned that House members will have the chance to vote on various foreign policy measures, such as seizing frozen Russian central bank assets, imposing sanctions on Iran, Russia, and China, and potentially prohibiting the popular video app TikTok if its Chinese owner fails to sell its stake.