The House of Representatives has approved sending 60 billion dollars to ukraine To defend itself against Russian aggression, an issue that has troubled Speaker Mike Johnson’s already dangerously thin majority.
The aid package passed 311 to 112, with more Democrats than Republicans voting in favor of it – and only 101 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 112 voted against it.
In a dramatic moment at the end of the vote, Democrats began passing around Ukrainian flags, violating House protocol, according to Representative Mark Molinaro, the lawmaker presiding over the vote. When the timer on the vote reached zero, a cheer broke out on the left side of the aisle, prompting a warning from Molinaro, who told them that waving the flag was a violation of the rules and called it “inappropriate”, to which the Democrats scoffed.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., yelled into the microphone, “Put those d—n flags away,” earning more verbal responses from Democrats before calling the chamber for the next vote.
Dems save Johnson’s $95B foreign aid plan from GOP rebel blockade
House lawmakers are working in a rare Saturday session to pass Johnson’s $95 billion foreign aid plan, which includes an aid bill for Israel and the Indo-Pacific as well as a bill containing other national security measures. Is. All four bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, in a decisive victory for Louisiana Republicans.
The close margin within the GOP alone shows how much Ukraine funding has become a divisive topic on the right.
Speaker Johnson supports bill to send more money to Ukraine for defensive war against Russian invasion two years ago (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images | Photo Victor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
A growing number of fiscal conservatives are skeptical about continued US financial involvement with Ukraine, while others have raised questions about corruption within the Kyiv government.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s proposal to remove all Ukraine-related funding from the Ukraine funding bill failed as expected on Saturday by a vote of 71 to 351.
More traditional Republicans and national security supporters have warned that a Ukraine victory is critical to preventing broader conflict between NATO and Russia, warning that its President Vladimir Putin is increasingly moving toward a second “axis of evil” with Iran and China. Making.
Johnson, who like his conservative colleagues was skeptical of aid to Ukraine before becoming speaker, issued a sobering warning earlier this week. “I really believe the intelligence and the briefings we got, I believe (Chinese President Xi Jinping) and Vladimir Putin and Iran are really the axis of evil. And I think they’re in coordination on this. I think that if Vladimir Putin is allowed to continue his march on Europe, I think he may go to the Balkans in the next round and have a confrontation with Poland or one of our NATO allies. ” “To put it bluntly, I’d rather send bullets to Ukraine than American guys,” he said.
House takes key test vote for Johnson’s $95B foreign aid plan after Dems helped push it
Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin is part of a new “axis of evil” (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)
But his support for foreign aid, particularly Ukraine, is also threatening to cut short his tenure as House Speaker. Greene filed a motion for a House-wide vote to oust Johnson last month, known as a motion to vacate the position, in protest of his work with Democrats on government spending and foreign aid.
Two more House Republicans – Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.formally endorsed its resolution this week.
“(r) No additional funds will be given to Ukraine without securing our southern border and despite repeated promises to spend resources on countering the invasion of 11 million illegal people, the joint “The Speaker’s directive is on the verge of sending another $61 billion to drag the United States into an endless and purposeless war in Ukraine,” Gosar said in a statement Friday. Have added my name in support of the motion to remove it from. Our borders cannot be an afterthought.”
Tension rises in House as Conservatives oppose Johnson over $95 billion foreign aid plan
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, an opponent of Ukraine aid, threatened to oust Johnson. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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“This is the third betrayal by Mike Johnson,” Greene told reporters Saturday after the vote, citing her earlier government funding agreement and the renewal of a key government surveillance tool.
He added, “And then he did this nonsense here in the House, a foreign war package that does nothing for America. It’s unbelievable. I’m grateful that America got to see who this guy is.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., acknowledged that Johnson could “probably” lose his job by pushing his foreign aid package over the line, but praised the speaker for doing “the right thing” despite the risk. .
“We had…intelligence that if we didn’t do this quickly, Ukraine would be in a bad situation,” Bacon said.
House leaders do not have to appoint Green’s resolution Remain up for a vote until it is filed as “privileged”, at which point it is required that lawmakers act on it within two legislative days. Green did not indicate when she might do so.
However, several Democrats have indicated they are willing to help save Johnson’s job if he puts the Ukraine aid bill on the House floor.
The bill, worth nearly $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific, passed with an overwhelming majority of 385 to 34 earlier on Saturday.
