For months, the House has been debating a plan that would grant aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as humanitarian assistance to Gaza
The $95.3 billion package was enacted by the Senate in February after a plan to tie it to greater border security measures failed. However, many, if not most, House Republicans reject additional Ukraine aid, and House Speaker Mike Johnson now faces Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s threat to schedule a vote on his impeachment if they approve more Ukraine aid.
So Johnson has a plan: hold separate votes on the essential sections of the package—oone for Israel, one for Ukraine, and two more on other major components—bbefore bundling them together and sending them to the Senate.
On Wednesday afternoon, House Republicans unveiled the text of the majority of the legislation, with votes scheduled for Saturday evening.
Democrats continue to scrutinize the details of the bill. While they are largely suspicious of the concept and would prefer that the House simply accept the Senate’s version, Democrats in both chambers appear inclined to listen to Johnson.
“I’m willing to keep an open mind, but man, why not just do the easy thing?” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters on Tuesday that Johnson’s proposal does not “sound like a recipe for success.”
Johnson must also deal with right-wing rage and potentially growing support for Greene’s dismissal.
The four bills’ contents substantially reflect those of the Senate-passed law but are divided into sections. We will give each bill an individual vote.
Israel’s funding totals $26.38 billion, which includes $14.1 billion in military aid to Israel, $2.4 billion for US military activities in the Middle East, and $9.2 billion in humanitarian relief to Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) cannot receive funding due to reports of its personnel’s involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack, a development that is likely to anger progressives.
Ukraine’s aid totals $60.84 billion, with $23.2 billion going toward restocking US military stocks. It also permits Ukraine to receive aid in the form of a loan.
Taiwan aid and Indo-Pacific military funding totaled $8.12 billion, including $3.3 billion for US submarine infrastructure, $2 billion in military aid to Taiwan, and $1.9 billion to replenish US armaments already sent to Taiwan and other countries.
TikTok Bill and Other Provisions: A package that includes a newly passed bill to compel the sale of the popular app TikTok, a bill to seize Russian assets, and more. We have not yet disclosed the text of this bill.
Here’s what’s in the four bills
The four bills’ contents substantially reflect those of the Senate-passed law but are divided into sections. We will give each bill an individual vote.
Israel’s funding totals $26.38 billion, which includes $14.1 billion in military aid to Israel, $2.4 billion for US military activities in the Middle East, and $9.2 billion in humanitarian relief to Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) cannot receive funding due to reports of its personnel’s involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack, a development that is likely to anger progressives.
Ukraine’s aid totals $60.84 billion, with $23.2 billion going toward restocking US military stocks. It also permits Ukraine to receive aid in the form of a loan.
Taiwan aid and Indo-Pacific military funding totaled $8.12 billion, including $3.3 billion for US submarine infrastructure, $2 billion in military aid to Taiwan, and $1.9 billion to replenish US armaments already sent to Taiwan and other countries.
TikTok Bill and Other Provisions: A package that includes a newly passed bill to compel the sale of the popular app TikTok, a bill to seize Russian assets, and more. We have not yet disclosed the text of this bill.
Many Republicans oppose Ukraine aid, while Democrats are increasingly skeptical of Israel aid
Johnson has developed a plan to target two distinct sources of resistance to the foreign aid package.
After October 7, the Biden administration and Senate leaders made it a point to link the aid for Israel and Ukraine. Their intention was to use the inclusion of aid for Israel as a way to encourage Republicans to support more aid for Ukraine.
Republicans have made multiple attempts to pass aid for Israel on its own, hoping to avoid any potential obstacles. However, these efforts have either failed or have been delayed in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
As the conflict in Gaza continues to escalate and more civilians are tragically caught in the crossfire, there has been a notable shift within the Democratic base. Many Democrats have started to express their opposition to the war, while others have voiced their support for providing aid to Israel but with certain conditions.
Johnson has devised a plan that accommodates progressive Democrats who wish to vote against Israel aid, as well as hard-right Republicans who want to vote against the Ukraine aid. This strategy ensures that the entire package can still advance.
Nancy Pelosi pulled off a version of this back in 2007
Johnson’s attempt to implement this is not without precedent.
After regaining control of the House in 2007, Democrats were under pressure to maintain funding for the War in Iraq. However, the majority of House Democrats were against such a move.
In order to address the issue, Nancy Pelosi, who was the House Speaker at the time, connected the funding to an increase in the federal minimum wage. However, the votes were kept separate.
The hard-right is still furious, and Johnson could face a vote to oust him
Many Republicans on the hard-right continue to oppose this plan. In fact, just recently, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky joined forces with Greene and is now co-sponsoring her “motion to vacate.” Massie has also called on Johnson to step down from his position.
Both Greene and Massie stand out among House Republicans as they were the sole lawmakers to consistently vote against every Russia-related bill since the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022. However, Johnson must proceed with caution as Republicans’ vote margin continues to shrink.
Some Democrats have expressed their opposition to the move of removing Johnson from his position, which is a departure from their previous unanimous support for Kevin McCarthy’s removal in October.
However, some Democrats have made the promise of providing more Ukraine aid contingent upon its passage. It remains uncertain whether Johnson’s plan will meet their requirements.
“In case there is no well-structured and coherent display of leadership, I cannot make any guarantees,” stated Democratic Representative Abigail Spanberger of Virginia. She had previously shown a willingness to support Johnson, provided there was an increase in Ukraine aid.
