House Speaker Mike Johnson recently unveiled a complicated proposal for passing wartime aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, diverging from the $95 billion aid package passed by the Senate in February. The proposal aims to gain House approval for the funding package by holding separate votes on aid for each country and several foreign policy proposals. However, Johnson faced opposition from conservatives, particularly in aiding Ukraine, which could complicate the path to final passage in Congress.
Conflicts around the globe, including Iran’s missile and drone strike against Israel and Ukraine’s warning of a worsening battlefield situation in the country’s east, have escalated, putting pressure on House Republicans to act on the national security package. President Joe Biden urged the House to take up the Senate funding package immediately, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Johnson’s approach, while attempting to address the various concerns within his party, could further incite populist conservatives and intensify internal divisions.
The GOP meeting concerning Johnson’s proposal was filled with lawmakers with differing approaches to aiding Ukraine, with some pushing for the national security supplemental package to be taken up as a bundle and others fiercely opposing continued support for Kyiv’s fight. President Biden, along with senior Republicans and Democrats, expressed impatience with House Democrats’ delay in passing the funding package, emphasizing the need to provide immediate aid to Israel and Ukraine. The White House also opposed a standalone bill that only addressed aid for Israel, stressing the importance of bipartisan and comprehensive legislation.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized the gravity of the events in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, comparing the situation to the lead-up to World War II and calling for immediate action from Congress. Jeffries pledged to do “everything in our legislative power to confront aggression” globally and urged the House to take up the Senate-passed bill for U.S. allies and humanitarian support for civilians. Efforts to push the House to vote on the Senate aid package included a discharge petition that garnered support from 195 lawmakers, although more signatures were needed to force action on the floor.
Progressive Democrats hesitant to sign the discharge petition cited opposition to U.S. aid to Israel due to the Netanyahu government’s actions in Gaza, while the House Freedom Caucus expressed opposition to using the emergency situation in Israel as a rationale for a rushed passage of Ukraine aid without proper considerations. Both parties within the House faced challenges in finding common ground on the funding package, with internal divisions and differing priorities complicating the path to final passage. The pressure to act swiftly in response to escalating conflicts globally highlighted the urgency for Congress to come to an agreement and pass the necessary aid measures for U.S. allies.
