Democrats took an unusual step Thursday and helped Republican leaders advance legislation to provide billions in stalled security funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, steering the measures closer toward passage this weekend.
However, the speaker is putting what he said is an “aggressive” border bill to a vote Friday morning.
The House is expected to take a brief procedural vote on the bill Friday morning, and then a vote on final passage of the foreign aid package is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
The three foreign aid bills would provide $26.4 billion to support Israel, $60.8 billion to bolster Ukraine and $8.1 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, including billions for Taiwan.
The Israel measure also includes more than $9.1 billion to address Palestinian humanitarian needs, which Democrats said was necessary for their support.
The $95 billion supplemental funding package that passed the Senate in February has stagnated for months in the House as Johnson has debated a path forward.
Foreign aid has sown deep divisions among House Republicans — some on the far right have threatened to oust Johnson from the speakership over additional funding to Ukraine, which they oppose.
Johnson defended his decision Wednesday and said providing Ukraine with lethal aid was “critically important.”
Democrats took an unusual step Thursday and helped Republican leaders advance legislation to provide billions in stalled security funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, steering the measures closer toward passage this weekend.
Following a nine-hour break, the House Rules Committee met again late on Thursday night and, with the support of all four Democratic members of the committee, advanced the foreign aid bills sponsored by GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson by a vote of 9 to 3. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon of Colorado. Representative Joe Neguse of New Mexico. Fernández, Teresa Leger.
The hardliners among the conservative Republicans on the committee, Reps. Three senators from different states—Kentucky, South Carolina, Ralph Norman, and Texas—voted against the rule because border security was not being matched with foreign aid. But the speaker is going to vote on what he described as a “aggressive” border bill on Friday morning. Though the Rules Committee was unable to approve it, the House will consider it under a suspension of the rule, meaning that a two-thirds majority is needed to pass.
A quick procedural vote on the bill is anticipated in the House on Friday morning, and a vote on the final passage of the foreign aid package is planned for Saturday afternoon.
Under the three foreign aid bills, $260.4 billion would go toward supporting Israel, $600.8 billion would go toward supporting Ukraine, and $80.1 billion would go toward opposing China in the Indo-Pacific region, including billions for Taiwan. Democrats claimed their support for the Israel measure would not be possible without including over $9.11 billion to meet Palestinian humanitarian needs.
Other GOP foreign policy goals are the focus of a fourth bill. More specifically, it would permit the sale of Russian oligarchs’ frozen assets to finance additional aid to Ukraine, possibly compel the sale of TikTok, and approve more stringent sanctions against Russia, China, and Iran.
The House should pass the package this week, and the Senate should act swiftly after, according to President Biden, who also promised to sign it into law. Next week is set aside for recess in both chambers.
Republicans in Louisiana, led by Republican Congressman Bill Johnson, unveiled the plan on Monday in response to growing bipartisan pressure to hold a vote on a Senate package that includes support for the U.S. S. comrades. The $95 billion supplemental funding package that was approved by the Senate in February has been sitting in the House for months while Johnson has discussed possible next steps.
House Republicans are deeply divided over foreign aid; some on the far right have threatened to remove Johnson as speaker because they oppose giving Ukraine more money.
Johnson said on Wednesday that he was “critically important” in his decision to give Ukraine lethal aid. ****.
Johnson told reporters, “I could never do my job if I was afraid of a motion to vacate.”.
It’s a critical time on the global stage right now, he continued, adding, “Look, history judges us for what we do.”. You know, I could decide to act selfishly and take a different course of action. However, I’m acting in this case in accordance with my moral convictions. ****.
Republican Rep. This might be the speaker’s final moments, according to Colorado resident Lauren Boebert’s prediction. “.”.
Reporting was contributed by Ellis Kim, Nikole Killion, Laura Garrison, and Kristin Brown.
