Johnson pushes ahead with Ukraine aid bill despite pressure from hardliners

Washington
CNN
—

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that he is sticking to his plan to introduce a series of foreign aid bills, including funding for Ukraine, after facing significant pressure from hard-liners.

Johnson said in a note to members that they would vote on Saturday evening.

“After significant member feedback and discussion, the House Rules Committee will soon today publish the text of three bills that would fund U.S. national security interests and its allies in Israel, the Indo-Pacific region, and Ukraine, including a loan structure for assistance, and strengthen the strategy,” Johnson said in the memo. And accountability.”

The loan structure around aid follows a meeting and news conference with Johnson and former President Donald Trump, who said in February that the United States should stop providing foreign aid unless it is structured as a loan. That weekend, Johnson received Trump's full support at a perilous time during his presidency.

Johnson announced on Monday evening that the House of Representatives would discuss two separate bills this week to provide aid to Israel and Ukraine, in response to far-right demands to keep the issues separate. But the final product is expected to be put together as one large package that will be sent to the Senate, according to sources familiar with the matter. The House could do that through an arcane procedure, something that angers the GOP's right wing but is what Democrats are insisting on as a condition of their support.

The Speaker of Parliament is facing mounting pressure to make changes to the foreign aid package proposed earlier this week – and not just from his right-wing members. While conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus have sounded the alarm over border security and foreign aid bills since the caucus met on Tuesday, the cries have now extended to the grassroots.

“Go back to Biden and Schumer and tell them he needs border security to pass foreign aid,” moderate New York Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said Wednesday to the House Speaker. In his letter to members, Johnson said he would introduce an immigration bill similar to H.R. 2 in the House of Representatives.

A number of far-right Republicans in the House of Representatives quickly dropped the border bill that Johnson announced would be included among the foreign aid bills expected to be voted on on Saturday, dashing any hope that the border provisions would appease the right wing of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The border bill, which includes key provisions of another border package passed by the House of Representatives that remains dead in the Senate, was seen as a messaging exercise by Johnson in an attempt to placate his colleagues' border demands, and it clearly does not appear to be working.

“You are dangerously out of step with Republicans by continuing to pass bills that depend on Democrats,” GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is leading the effort to oust Johnson, said on Channel X. Everyone sees through this.

All of this added to the intense pressure Johnson faced over his future during his short time as president. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said Tuesday he would co-sponsor Greene's recall motion, which would oust Johnson as speaker if it passes, prompting the House speaker to defiantly tell reporters he would not resign.

Hardline conservatives quickly raged at Johnson over his decision to go ahead with billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, warning him loudly that it could cost him his job.

An angry Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said he was “very disappointed” in the speaker and that he was “past the point of giving grace.”

“I need more time today, but this is not good,” Roy said when asked by CNN if it was time to leave his position.

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz called Johnson's decision to move forward with the foreign aid bills a “surrender,” vowing to vote against the package and work hard to pressure others not to support the move. Other Republicans also expressed their anger and did not rule out voting against Johnson on procedural proposals that could turn the bill upside down.

With Republicans in control of the House by a razor-thin margin, Johnson will likely need Democrats to pass foreign aid bills — and save his job if the eviction proposal comes up.

House Democrats are waiting to carefully consider how much aid they will provide through a procedural vote on the aid package to see whether it includes a provision that is essential to them: $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza and other conflict zones around the world. The billions allocated for humanitarian aid include not only money for Gaza, but also money for Sudan, Haiti and other areas that Democrats were quick to point out.

During a caucus meeting on Tuesday, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told his caucus they would not accept “one penny” less in humanitarian aid.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged the House of Representatives to pass “urgent” aid to Ukraine and Israel in an op-ed In the Wall Street Journal.

“Both Ukraine and Israel have defended themselves against these attacks, held their line and protected their citizens. “Both did so with crucial assistance from the United States,” Biden wrote. “Now is not the time to abandon our friends. The House of Representatives must pass urgent legislation related to the national security of Ukraine and Israel, as well as the humanitarian aid that Palestinians in Gaza desperately need.

Ukraine's battlefield situation is starting to “shift a little bit…in Russia's favor,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers Wednesday while urging passage of a supplemental aid package for Ukraine.

“In terms of, you know, what happens in the future and how long Ukraine will be able to continue its efforts, I think we're already seeing things on the battlefield starting to shift a little bit in Russia's favor,” Austin said. He told the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

However, House Democrats are divided over whether they will try to rescue Johnson if efforts to oust him begin in the chamber, with institutionalists insisting that a vote against the eviction proposal could protect the chamber from descending into chaos just months before the presidential election. . Meanwhile, progressive members warn that helping Johnson now could end up undermining the party with its base, which may already be less enthusiastic about showing up to the polls in November.

Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi and Jared Moskowitz have said publicly that they would not support an effort to oust Johnson, but other Democrats — including someone who held the same position as Johnson — are not ready to make that kind of commitment.

“Let's just hope that doesn't happen, and that we can do our responsibilities, protect and defend our democracy as we protect theirs,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

If Johnson is indeed ousted, it could plunge the House of Representatives into chaos once again, with no legislation tabled until a new speaker is elected.

This story was updated with additional developments on Wednesday.

CNN's Manu Raju contributed to this report.