On Friday, the House of Representatives successfully overcame a major procedural challenge as they moved forward with legislation concerning foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. This development came amid internal disagreements among Republicans, which saw significant Democratic support preventing a setback for Speaker Mike Johnson.
The vote, which ended 316-94, was crucial for advancing the bills, which propose a total of $95 billion in foreign aid. These funds have been the subject of intense political debate in Washington for several months. The aid includes approximately $26 billion for Israel, $61 billion for Ukraine, and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. This move sets the stage for votes on final passage scheduled for Saturday.
Traditionally, such procedural votes are managed by the House majority alone. However, this time, a larger number of Democrats than Republicans supported the motion. This unusual alliance was highlighted by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., who stated during the debate that the Democrats “will be the adults in the room.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, speaking after the vote, expressed satisfaction with the foreign aid bills, describing them as “the best possible product” under the current circumstances. He also looked forward to the upcoming final vote.
The push to pass these measures comes despite resistance from some conservative members of Johnson’s party. Additionally, the stability of Johnson’s leadership was further threatened when a third Republican, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, supported a motion to oust him, originally introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Gosar criticized the focus on foreign aid rather than domestic issues, like securing the southern border.
This motion to vacate the speaker’s chair could potentially lead to Johnson’s removal, depending on whether Democrats choose to intervene in his defense. When questioned about the potential threat to his position, Johnson remained unfazed, telling ABC News, “I don’t worry. I just do my job.”
Johnson also seem to add stuff to the aid package.
.@SpeakerJohnson: In addition to aid for Israel, Ukraine & the Indo-Pacific, “We also included some really important sanctions on Russia & China & Iran, which I believe is the new axis of evil … That is exactly … how the House is supposed to operate” pic.twitter.com/IQY1ZY2nY8
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 19, 2024
Then, with the help of Democrats, he passed the bill and the TikTok ban bill.
