April 16 (UPI) — House Speaker Mike Johnson announced late Monday that the House will vote this week on two separate aid packages for Israel and Ukraine, in response to “precipitating events around the globe.”
Following months of delays, Johnson announced the plan, which includes a total of four packages, during a closed-door House GOP conference meeting Monday night.
“I have just spoken with the House GOP conference on my plan to address national security supplemental legislation on the growing security crises,” Johnson wrote Monday in a post on X.
“This week, we will consider separate bills with a structured and germane amendment process to fund our ally Israel, support Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression, strengthen our allies in the Indo-Pacific and pass additional measures to counter our adversaries and strengthen our national security,” Johnson added.
The packages come days after Iran launched a drone attack against Israel and amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“There are precipitating events around the globe that we’re all watching very carefully,” Johnson told reporters after the meeting. “And we know that the world is watching us to see how we react.”
“We have terrorists and tyrants and terrible leaders around the world like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Xi [Jinping, the president of China,] and in Iran, and they’re watching to see if America will stand up for its allies and in our own interest around the globe.”
The four bills would move under one procedural rule that would allow for an amendment process. The fourth national security bill would include a TikTok ban, a provision to allow the United States to use seized Russian assets to help Ukraine, a lend-lease act for military aid, convertible loans for humanitarian relief and new sanctions on Iran following weekend strikes on Israel.
The plan could face some Republican opposition because it does not include any border provisions, according to Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla.
“The American people have made it as clear as they possibly could … that we better secure our border before we spend more money in Ukraine. They are getting ready to fly off the cliff,” said Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C.
Johnson is fighting his own battle to retain his role as House Speaker, as a number of colleagues have threatened a vote to oust him.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was quick to criticize Johnson’s plan.
“I am firmly against the plan as it stands right now,” Greene told reporters Monday, adding that she had “not decided on that yet,” when asked whether she would force a vote on the motion to vacate.
“A lot of conservatives are very upset about how this is going down,” Greene added. “He’s literally broken his promise.”
Some Democrats expressed anger that Johnson would not hold a vote on the $95 billion supplemental aid bill the Senate passed in February.
“They just can’t bring themselves to do the right thing, the obvious thing, put the damn Senate bill on the floor,” said. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.
“This is one of the most critical votes that we’ll take, so I’m very open to whatever it takes to get this done,” added Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio.
Johnson told reporters the text of the four bills would be released early Tuesday to give lawmakers 72 hours to examine them before being asked to vote.
“We’re discussing whether they would be merged together in one package that’s sent to the Senate, or if it goes over as individual measures,” Johnson said. “My personal preference is to do it individually, but we’ll let the body decide. We’ll have further discussion on that in the morning.”
