House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., walks onto the House floor on Friday, March 22, 2024. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., filed a motion to remove him from his position as speaker later that day.
Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Monday he plans to advance four separate bills to fund Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, carving out key components of a foreign aid package that has been stalled in the House for months.
Johnson held a conference with House Republicans on Monday evening to introduce the four bills: one to fund Israel, another for Ukraine, another for Taiwan and a fourth that would combine several foreign policy proposals into one.
The plan comes as Johnson weighs political threats from his party members against added pressure to provide military support to Israel following Iran’s attempted attack over the weekend.
On Saturday, Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted through a coordinated effort between Israel, the US and other partners in the region.
In the days since the attack on Iran, Johnson has faced a renewed push to end the months-long stalemate over the $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which the Senate passed in February and has since passed in the House sits.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden spoke with Johnson as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
On Monday, the White House reiterated its call for the House to submit the joint $95 billion foreign aid package to the House of Representatives. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby added at a news conference that Biden would reject a standalone bill to exclusively fund Israel.
Combined with pressure from the Biden administration, Johnson faces the possibility that his own party members could oust him.
In March, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., filed a motion to remove Johnson but did not force a vote on the motion. She said the move was more of a “warning.”
On Monday, Greene expressed dissatisfaction with Johnson’s four-stage foreign aid plan but said she had not yet made a decision on whether to move forward with the resignation request.
“I strongly oppose the plan in its current form,” Greene told reporters as she left the House Republican session on Monday. “It’s such a scam and people are so done with it.”
“He definitely will not be the speaker of the next Congress if we are lucky enough to have the majority,” Greene added.
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2024-04-16 00:30:48
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