Ukraine and Israel Aid Bills Approved by Rules Committee

House lawmakers have moved forward with a $95 billion foreign aid package aimed at countering Russian, Iranian, and Chinese aggression, with a possible floor vote over the weekend.

In a rare bipartisan decision, Democrats on the House Rules Committee joined with Republicans in a 9-3 vote on Thursday night to provide additional military assistance funding and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as reported by CNN here.

Some GOP committee members, including Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Chip Roy of Texas, and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, opposed the funding, accusing House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., of prioritizing foreign aid over border security concerns.

“I’m a child of the ’80s. I regard myself as a Reagan Republican,” Johnson told CNN on Wednesday. “We’re not going to get 100% of what we want right now because we have the smallest majority in history, and we only have the majority in one chamber.”

Johnson reassured Republicans that they will have a chance to vote on a bill containing the key components of a border security package passed last year.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who opposes the aid package and is threatening to oust Johnson, presented multiple amendments in protest, including one that requires lawmakers who approve Ukraine funding to enlist in the country’s military, according to Newsweek reports.

Massie supported Greene’s motion to prevent Johnson from being removed from the floor after the foreign aid is approved, as mentioned by the New York Post here.

“If Mike Johnson insists on aligning with what [President] Joe Biden and [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.] want, I think he’s already spent all his political capital,” Massie commented on the House bills that mirror the Senate’s legislation.

The New York Post reports that the aid package includes $60.84 billion for Ukraine, $26.38 billion for Israel, and $8.12 billion for the Indo-Pacific region, with a significant portion designated for Taiwan.