Speaker Johnson is facing opposition within his own party as he works to secure aid for Ukraine. Despite threats from ultraconservatives in the Republican Party, Johnson remains committed to assisting Ukraine. He is also facing challenges from Democrats who are opposed to providing military aid to Israel due to the situation in Gaza. Johnson has not yet finalized his plan for providing aid to Ukraine, but some Republicans have suggested structuring the aid as a loan, a proposal endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
In an effort to secure bipartisan support for Ukraine aid, Johnson has considered packaging the aid bill with policies favored by conservative Republicans. This strategy would involve two consecutive votes, one for the Senate-passed aid package and another for a bill containing measures appealing to the conservative wing of the party. Some of these measures could include selling off frozen Russian assets to pay for the aid, reversing certain policies imposed by President Biden, and implementing a border security measure. Johnson faces the challenging task of rallying support among both Republicans and Democrats for the aid bill.
Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed opposition to providing additional aid to Israel following a controversial strike that killed aid workers in Gaza. On the other hand, some Republicans are wary of approving further aid for Ukraine due to concerns from their constituents. Johnson must navigate these opposing views while facing pressure from his own party. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to oust Johnson if he moves forward with aid for Ukraine without securing policy concessions from Democrats related to border security.
Johnson acknowledged the complexity of the situation in a news conference, noting that he is considering various ideas for aiding Ukraine. He emphasized the urgency of the situation and the need for consensus among lawmakers. Johnson has also discussed the possibility of structuring the aid as a loan rather than a gift, a proposal that has garnered interest among some Republicans. Former President Trump endorsed the idea of providing aid as a loan during a meeting with Johnson at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. As negotiations continue, Johnson is working to build a coalition of mainstream Republicans and Democrats to support the aid package for Ukraine, despite facing challenges from within his own party and from Democrats.
