Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)
In rejecting a Senate-passed foreign aid bill favored by Democrats, the Speaker has sought to mollify his hardline GOP critics and put a more conservative stamp on the contentious foreign assistance.
Simultaneously, he’s moving a border security bill, also aimed at bringing conservatives on board, that is dead-on-arrival in the Senate.
Roy told reporters it “sure would seem likely at this point” that Democrats will need to help pass the rule out of committee.
If I operated out of fear over a motion to vacate I would never be able to do my job,” Johnson said Wednesday.
And on Wednesday afternoon, he framed the foreign aid in the most sweeping historical terms.
Some of those critics are now accusing Johnson, a stalwart conservative over his tenure in Congress, of betraying his roots on the Ukraine package, as well.
“And it’s separated from the foreign aid package because he needs the Democrats to help him pass it, so he clearly made the agreement with them.” “It’s separate not to upset them, so they’ll vote for the foreign aid package,” she added.
Mike Johnson, the Speaker (R-La. is adopting a strategy that recognizes the challenges of leading in a divided Washington but also increases the likelihood that he will be removed by irate conservatives. He will rely largely on Democrats to move a number of bills in the coming days that will provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and other democratic allies overseas.
The Speaker has attempted to appease his staunchly conservative GOP opponents and give the controversial foreign assistance a more conservative stamp by rejecting a Senate-passed bill that was supported by Democrats. He is also pushing a border security bill concurrently that is dead on arrival in the Senate, presumably in an attempt to win over conservatives.
However, that alternative, multifaceted approach to transferring nearly $100 billion in foreign aid has only served to exacerbate his agitated right flank, draw attention to his shaky hold on the conference he leads, and ignite a fresh challenge to his gavel, as Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. announced that he is prepared to remove the Speaker from his position of authority.
Because of the backlash, the legislation’s success now depends on Democratic votes for both the procedural resolutions that will bring the final bills to the floor and their votes once they do.
Rep. made that dynamic abundantly evident on Wednesday. Ralph Norman (R.S. C. ) declared that both he and Reps. GOPer Thomas Massie (Ky. The rule that would send Johnson’s bills to the House floor would be opposed by the three most conservative members of the House Rules Committee, Reps. ] and Chip Roy (R-Texas).
Republicans will likely need to assist in getting the rule out of committee, Roy told reporters, adding that it “sure would seem likely at this point.”.
“I simply don’t agree with the Speaker’s position, fundamentally and strongly,” he declared.
Johnson received the highly sought-after support of a significant Republican last week, former President Trump, who declared that the Speaker is “doing a very good job,” in spite of the harsh criticism. “The confidence vote has made Rep.’s future more difficult. Rachel Taylor Greene (R-Ga. ), who is spearheading the removal attempt (the one Massie supports) but declared she wouldn’t push it to the floor prior to this weekend’s votes on foreign aid.
“Because I believe that bill will undoubtedly inform many people precisely what I have been saying, I won’t call it before that bill is brought to the floor,” Greene informed reporters.
Johnson has downplayed the threat, claiming that he is only trying to protect a democratic ally abroad in the style of the Reagan conservatives who led the GOP prior to Trump’s ascent to power.
“Do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may is my philosophy. Johnson stated on Wednesday that he could never perform his job if he were to act in fear due to a motion to vacate. “I could act differently and selfishly, but I’m acting in accordance with my moral convictions. I believe it is vitally important to give Ukraine lethal aid right now. “.
In order to overcome the conservatives’ opposition, Johnson will first need Democrats on the Rules Committee to support his plan, despite the internal resistance. This is an extremely unusual dynamic on a panel where the minority party almost always opposes the procedural resolutions that bring proposals to the floor, even when that minority party supports the underlying legislation.
Democratic leaders in the House have not made that support publicly known. However, on Wednesday, even before the final bill was released, President Biden endorsed all four of Johnson’s bills, and other prominent Democrats said they were prepared to give Johnson the votes he needed to move the legislation forward to the Senate.
“We cannot withdraw from the global arena while pretending to prioritize ‘America First,'” declared Representative. DeLauro Rosa (Conn. senior Democratic member of the Appropriations Committee. “By showcasing the strength, tenacity, and compassion of American leadership, we put America first by defending the freedoms and dignity of the most vulnerable among us.
“I urge these bills to be passed quickly. “.
Minority Leader of the House, Hakeem Jeffries (D-N. Y. refused to state that he would support it outright, stating that he wanted to first assess the mood in his Democratic Caucus at a meeting in the Capitol on Thursday morning. However, Jeffries’ opposition to Johnson’s legislation is improbable given that Biden and DeLauro have already endorsed it. And in the most comprehensive historical terms possible, he presented the foreign aid on Wednesday afternoon.
In the Capitol, Jeffries told reporters, “This is a Churchill or Chamberlain moment.”. “We can either allow the extreme MAGA Republicans who support Putin to appease him, or we can confront Russian aggression in defense of democracy.”. “.
In an interview with CNN, Johnson stated that he hopes the rule won’t need Democratic support to pass, but he also acknowledged that the difficult political climate in Washington means he will have to work across party lines.
With the smallest majority in history and the majority held by one chamber, Johnson stated, “We’re not going to get 100 percent of what we want right now.”. “The House is ruled by Republicans. The House is slightly in our favor. The Senate and the White House are controlled by Democrats. Therefore, it stands to reason that we won’t always get our wish. “.
In striking agreements with Biden on government spending and surveillance, which the Speaker has pushed through the House in recent weeks, Johnson has acknowledged the same truth. However, despite the current dynamics in D.C., the hardliners were enraged by both negotiations because they are against the Speaker’s tendency to work with Democrats. B.
Johnson, a staunch conservative during his time in Congress, is currently being accused by some of those critics of betraying his principles on the Ukraine package as well.
Rep. “I predict that the Democrats will provide as many votes as necessary to pass the rule, because the rule will undoubtedly fail on Republican votes.”. Bob Good (Republican; Virginia). ), the head of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, referred to a portion of Johnson’s proposal as “jokes.”. “.
He went on, “The Democrats will find as many votes as needed, why wouldn’t they?”. Once more, we’re carrying out Democratic wishes. “.
Rep. Greene, Marjorie Taylor (R-GA). one of the leading opponents of Johnson who has filed a move to resign from the Speaker, specifically criticized him for moving a border bill apart from the foreign aid bill.
Johnson said Wednesday morning that the House will consider a border bill under a procedural rule distinct from the foreign aid measures in an attempt to placate conservatives. If passed, the bill will not proceed to the Senate with the aid bills.
The gambit, however, did not sit well with conservatives, who denounced it as a symbolic attempt to please conservatives without upsetting Democrats or enacting border security legislation.
Greene told reporters, “It’s a shiny object, a theatrical production.”. And he made the agreement with the Democrats, so it’s clearly distinct from the foreign aid package, because he needs their support to pass it. “.
“They’ll vote for the foreign aid package because it’s separate and won’t upset them,” she continued. And for Republicans who argue that action must be taken to secure the border, it’s the shiny object. “.
Conservatives have been somewhat appeased by Johnson’s actions. He is abiding by the 72-hour rule, which gives legislators three full days after legislation is introduced to vote on it. This allows the votes on foreign aid to continue until Saturday night.
