US House Speaker proposes complex plan to aid Ukraine

US House Speaker Mike Johnson on April 15 unveiled the latest proposal for aid to US allies, including Israel and Ukraine.

To guard against a right-wing “rebellion” that could threaten his leadership, Mr. Johnson unveiled a complex plan to split the additional aid bill into four separate bills, separating aid to Israel and aid to Ukraine, while also addressing other Republican foreign policy demands.

The move could be a turning point in ending a months-long Republican blockade on legislation that would free up funding for Ukraine and respond quickly to Iran’s missile and drone attacks on Israel over the weekend.

But the plan would also significantly alter the $95 billion aid package the Senate passed in February, potentially complicating the months-long effort to convince both chambers of Congress to approve military funding for Ukraine.

Complicated plan

“We will not vote on the additional aid package in the Senate in its current form. We will vote on four separate pieces,” Johnson told reporters after meeting with House Republicans. “We will let the House do what it wants.”

Mr Johnson said he hoped the text of the bills would be published on April 16, and that lawmakers would then have 72 hours to study the text before voting and allowing amendments. If the texts were approved by the House Rules Committee, a vote could take place as early as April 19.

As the US House of Representatives fails to act in a united manner, conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East are threatening to escalate. The head of the Israeli military said on April 15 that his country would respond to Iran's unprecedented attack.

Ukraine’s military chief warned over the weekend that the situation on the eastern frontline had “deteriorated significantly in recent days” as warmer weather allowed Russian forces to launch a new offensive.

World - US House Speaker proposes complex plan to aid Ukraine and Israel — US House Speaker Mike Johnson arrives for a closed-door meeting with Republican members at the Capitol in Washington, April 15, 2024. Photo: Yahoo!News

“There are events going on globally that we are all watching very carefully and we know the world is watching to see how we respond,” Mr Johnson said.

US President Joe Biden, hosting Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the White House, urged the US House of Representatives to pass the aid package immediately. “They have to do it now,” Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Johnson and Mr. Biden spoke on April 15, the AP news agency reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

House Democrats may be willing to help Mr. Johnson pass separate aid packages and may even agree to some of the additional measures being discussed by Republicans, such as providing some economic assistance to Ukraine in the form of loans.

But Mr Johnson would lose Democratic support if he indulged too much in Republican-only priorities. Any changes to the package would risk defeat in the Senate, where most Republicans oppose aid to Ukraine and Democrats have become increasingly alarmed by Israel’s campaign in the Gaza Strip.

The unknowns

The April 15 Republican meeting featured many lawmakers with differing views on how to approach the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Republican defense hawks, including top lawmakers on the national security committee, are pitted against populist conservatives who are fiercely opposed to continuing to support Kiev’s fighting effort.

As usual, the meeting turned into a heated debate. But Mr. Johnson’s latest plan has won significant Republican support, Rep. Greg Steube said as he left the meeting.

“I don’t like it,” Mr. Steube said. “But I’m clearly in the minority.”

Representative Kevin Hern, the head of the Republican Study Committee, endorsed the plan, saying Mr Johnson was “doing the right thing”.

World - US House Speaker proposes complex plan to aid Ukraine and Israel (Image 2). — Mike Johnson speaks and Donald Trump listens at a news conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, April 12, 2024. Photo: Gazette

The risk is that Mr Johnson’s support for aid to Ukraine could further inflame populist Conservatives who are already disgruntled with his previous moves.

Conservatives, who support aid to Israel, have warned Mr Johnson against using the emergency in Israel as a bogus justification to push for aid to Ukraine that does nothing for security at America's own borders.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to remove him from his position as House Speaker. As she entered the Republican caucus on April 15, she said her message to Johnson was simple: “Don’t fund Ukraine.” But Greene did not say whether she would move forward with Johnson’s impeachment if the aid to Ukraine was approved.

Another unknown is Donald Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner who has opposed foreign aid. It is unclear how the former president will react to the new plan. Johnson met with Trump on April 12 in Florida .

Minh Duc (According to AP, Bloomberg, CBS News)

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