Between two fires: Speaker Johnson confused in fight against foreign aid bill – Politico

The foreign aid bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday, February 13, fell hostage to a complex conflict between House Speaker Mike Johnson. American Politico writes about this.

The Upper House could pass legislation with help from Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, but Speaker Johnson is reluctant to accept the Senate’s national security amendment, insisting that Republicans will write their own legislation. As noted in the release, Democrats are trying to find a way around this.

Recall that on Monday, February 12, Johnson rejected the $95 billion Senate bill that included aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan because it did not include provisions to strengthen border security.

“Without any changes to border policy from the Senate, the House will have to continue working on these important issues on its own,” he said in a statement.

Louisiana Republicans and other conservatives had previously tried to kill a bipartisan agreement on foreign aid at the border because they said it wasn’t effective enough to stem the flow of migrants across the border.

Politico recalls that compromise failed in the Senate last week after Johnson said the bill would be “dead” by the time it reached the House.

Experts are convinced that “legislation that would introduce tougher border policies will almost certainly face opposition from Democrats in the Upper House. All this suggests that a months-long struggle over foreign aid and border security is still ahead.”

But an anonymous insider told the publication on Tuesday that Johnson “will not be included” in the Senate plan. Instead, House Republicans will find their own way to address national security and border issues.

between two fires

Johnson faces pressure from conservatives who oppose any funding for Ukraine and are fighting over a border bill that Parliament will pass along party lines in 2023. According to Politico, some members of the House of Representatives even hinted that they would call for the speaker’s impeachment if he brings up the Ukraine aid bill.

Democrats, meanwhile, hope they can corner Johnson by using a procedural maneuver known as a motion to discharge that will allow them to force a vote on the Senate-passed bill. But to do that, Democrats need a majority of House members, including a few Republicans, to sign the petition. It’s unclear whether they’ll get such support, but some Republicans have been talking behind the scenes with Democrats about how to proceed.

Senators’ Arguments

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Johnson to pass the bill at a Feb. 13 press conference, saying “if the far right kills this bill, it will be a huge gift to Vladimir Putin.” But the Senate Democrat turned to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about how to push for repeal of the bill.

Some Republicans have suggested looking at parts of the foreign aid package separately. This would allow Republicans to vote on aid to Israel and rely on Democrats to decide on aid to Ukraine. Last week, Republican Congressman Don Bacon told Politico that he was discussing a separate military aid bill for Ukraine with a group of lawmakers.

Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, who traveled to Ukraine last week to confirm US support, predicted Johnson would eventually allow the Senate bill to be voted on. It is noteworthy that Johnson’s statement does not exclude the possibility that the House of Representatives will eventually agree to consider this.

“The speaker will have to put this on the table,” Turner added.

Let us remind you that on February 9, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Discussed aid to Ukraine with US senators. The German politician did not hide his positive feelings during his meeting with members of the US Senate representing the Democratic and Republican parties. Scholz said allies should help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.