House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled plans Monday for the House to hold votes this week on four separate funding bills for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and national security — just days after Iran escalated conflict in the Middle East by launching its first direct attack on the Jewish state.
House Republicans huddled for a conference meeting on Capitol Hill to discuss a roadmap for passing the long-stalled funding for the war-torn nations — even as Johnson faces a threat from far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) to oust him over further US aid for Ukraine.
Johnson teased that the House’s aid package for Ukraine will differ from the Senate’s version that passed in February and would’ve allocated $60 billion to the war-torn ally.
“The underlying text will have some of our innovation in it with regard to accountability for funding and some of these other metrics,” he said, citing the “loan concept” as an example.
“I think you’ll see the text differs in those ways, but the overall concept is the same. It’s the same places that the funding would be sent. And you’ll see the House’s take on it.”
“Importantly, 68% of his package is the replenishment of our own munitions, our own weapons,” Johnson emphasized, before acknowledging Ukraine was “the most difficult part of this.”
Most Republican lawmakers exited the meeting supportive of the plan but were fuzzy on some of the specifics such as the details of the fourth bill planned to tackle national security issues, given that those four bills haven’t been drafted yet.
“I think the speaker is doing the right thing,” Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern, who chairs the influential Republican Study Committee, told reporters after leaving the closed-door session.
“The speaker’s saying, regardless of what he does or who calls for a motion to vacate, ‘I need to do the right thing,’” Hern said. “He said the conference needs to be able to vote on each one of those bills.”
“He is doing the right thing,” moderate Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) affirmed. “I say if you lose your job while doing the right thing … it’s a profile in courage.”
On Saturday, Tehran fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel, only to have 99% intercepted through a joint military effort from Israel, the US and Jordan — adding urgency to the $95 billion in military aid already passed in the Senate in February for foreign allies.
Not everyone was pleased.
Greene, who looked animated as she exited the meeting, blasted Johnson for taking the GOP conference in the “wrong direction,” and warned that people “are going to be angry about it.”
Last month, Greene filed a motion to vacate as the House held its final votes to pass government spending legislation for the 2024 fiscal year — but has yet to privilege the resolution in order to bring it up for a vote.
She played coy when asked about the possibility by reporters on Monday.
“I haven’t decided on that yet,” she said. “It’s a very serious matter.”
“I support the majority, and I want it next time, so I’m being careful. I also respect my colleagues,” she added. “A motion to vacate is such a serious issue [it] should be handled responsibly, not just willy nilly.”
Johnson held a private meeting with Greene last week to hear some of her concerns and later met with former President Donald Trump, who backed his speakership, though not necessarily his push for replenishing Ukraine aid.
The speaker has previously floated paying for some of the Ukraine military assistance with the seized assets of Russian oligarchs through a bill known as the REPO for Ukrainians Act, which lawmakers said would also be under consideration along with other “additional measures to counter our adversaries and strengthen our national security,” Johnson added on X.
Some members told reporters that the fourth bill pertained to TikTok, though they were unclear about what the distinction would be with the TikTok divestment bill that passed the House last month.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) suggested some border security provisions could be tucked into the standalone bills through amendments. Such a move could frustrate Democratic support.
Hern said the foreign aid would be packaged under a rule, which if passed would only require a majority of the lower chamber to vote it through.
Though previously common, the 118th Congress has passed much of its legislation under suspension of the rules — and recently failed to put a bill reauthorizing the federal government’s foreign spying capabilities up for a vote on the first try.
Conservative GOP lawmakers — many of whom are associated with the House Freedom Caucus — have opposed bills considered under regular order, as it’s known, but Hern added that he expected those caucus members to back the speaker’s plan.
“How you fund matters,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), a Freedom Caucus member, told reporters following the conference meeting, while also noting: “Anytime you separate into single-subject bills, I think that’s a good strategy.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during a Monday press briefing that President Biden would oppose standalone bills for either nation.
“A standalone would actually not help Israel and Ukraine,” she said, adding that it would only “delay” needed aid.
Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have all pressured Johnson to instead pass the $95 billion Senate bill with military assistance for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region.
“We’re not going to come to any conclusion on process until we understand the substance,” Jeffries said Monday, per Punchbowl News.
“This is a very important moment for America not to shirk from its responsibility,” New York Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro told reporters Monday evening, before suggesting that passing each of the bills would force Biden and the Senate to act.
“The president has allowed us to look weak too many times around the world. And there are allies hoping and waiting for us to step up.”
