Speaker Mike Johnson risks losing his job by putting $95billion Ukraine, Israel ... trends now
After debating whether to risk his job amid renewed threats, Speaker Mike Johnson is moving forward with a foreign aid plan that includes separate votes on money for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan.
In a last-minute decision, he's adding a fifth bill that includes elements of the' House's Republican-only border security bill that was already passed last year, Johnson texted his conference Wednesday morning.
The package in total would offer $26 billion to Israel, $60 billion to Ukraine and $8 billion to the Indo-Pacific, a combination of military and humanitarian aid. It would be made up of four separate bills, including one for each region.
The Israel security bill will offer $4 billion to replenish Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense system and billions more for weapons systems, artillery and munitions, as well as an additional $2.4 billion for U.S. operations in the region.
Nine billion dollars of the Israel package goes to humanitarian relief, including for Palestinians in Gaza.
The Ukraine bill includes $23 billion for replenishing U.S. stockpiles that have been depleted for the fight in Russia. Some $11 billion would go to U.S. military operations in the region and $14 billion would go to procuring advanced weapons systems. Another $26 million would go to oversight and accountability of equipment given to Ukraine.
A fourth bill will reportedly include several measures such as requiring TikTok divest from its Chinese-owned parent company, an effort to obtain seized Russian assets, a lend-lease program for military aid to Ukraine and also humanitarian aid in the form of a loan.
Johnson has planned a Saturday evening vote to give members over three days to read the text of the package - one day after GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher's intended last day in Congress and his majority is whittled down to 217-213, only allowing him to lose one Republican vote on party-line legislation.
Gallagher's office now says he has 'flexibility' to stay until Saturday.
All four bills were supposed to be lumped together under the same 'rule' to advance them to the House floor for final passage this week before going to the Senate.
The fifth bill will come up under a separate rule.
Typically only the majority party - Republicans - votes for the rule. But Johnson will need
