House Republicans have developed a plan to move military assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan following a significant attempted strike on Israel by Iran. The plan involves separate votes on aid for each country as well as a catch-all bill with additional provisions such as divesting the social media app TikTok from its Chinese owner and requiring Ukraine to repay some aid. Despite the seeming simplicity of the plan, navigating interparty politics between Republicans and Democrats as well as intraparty politics within the GOP poses challenges.
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the plan to vote on each measure separately in four pieces, rather than voting on the $95.5 billion bill that the Senate had passed. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized the need for an up-or-down vote on the bipartisan bill that consolidates aid for all three countries. The White House has also pushed for a vote on the Senate bill as the quickest way to pass aid. However, passing a rule for debate with only Republican votes has been difficult for Johnson as he works with a narrow majority.
GOP leaders face obstacles in getting a rule passed using only Republican votes, especially considering the divided stance on aiding Ukraine. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a vocal critic of Ukraine aid, has threatened to try to oust Johnson if he pushes for an aid bill. Johnson believes allowing individual issues to be voted on with floor amendments is the fairest way to break the deadlock that has existed since September 30. He plans to discuss the process with Jeffries in hopes of mutual respect for the approach.
If the measures pass, it remains unclear how they will be sent to the Senate. Possibilities include voting on the four issues separately and then bundling them in a single bill or sending them individually. Johnson is in favor of sending the four bills to the Senate separately. Despite the uncertainty and the possibility of an ouster attempt similar to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s removal, Johnson remains focused on governing and fulfilling his duties. The challenge lies in navigating the intricacies of party politics to successfully pass aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
