On Wednesday, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson reaffirmed his plan to present a series of foreign aid bills to the floor, including funding for Ukraine and Israel.
In a note to legislators, Johnson stated that they would vote on these bills on Saturday evening. As a Republican from Louisiana, Johnson has been under increasing pressure to address President Joe Biden’s delayed request for billions of dollars in security assistance.
The Senate had already passed a $95-billion aid package, which includes $14 billion for Israel and $60 billion for Ukraine, over two months ago. Despite opposition from conservatives regarding aid to Ukraine, Johnson expressed his intention to bring the package to the House floor for a single debate rule, followed by separate votes on aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other foreign-policy proposals.
Johnson emphasized that the House Rules Committee would soon release the text of three bills to fund America’s national security interests and allies, including a loan structure for aid and enhanced strategy and accountability.
These bills, along with a fourth bill addressing issues such as the REPO Act, TikTok, and sanctions, will be brought to the floor for a vote on Saturday evening. Johnson also mentioned his support for providing more money to Kiev if it were in the form of a loan rather than a grant. Recent events, such as Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel, have further intensified the pressure on Johnson.
