The House is expected to vote Saturday afternoon on Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) four-part plan to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies.
The measure is widely expected to pass after Democrats joined Republicans to push the measure over two key hurdles, taking the exceedingly rare step of voting in favor of a procedural measure to begin debate on the bills. Such votes are normally party-line affairs, regardless of how lawmakers intend to vote on the underlying legislation, but in this case 165 Democrats joined just 151 Republicans to help advance the bills.
Passage of the foreign aid legislation would conclude a long drama on Capitol Hill. The Senate passed a foreign aid package in February but the legislation faced intense opposition from House conservatives.
Johnson’s proposal essentially splits the aid into four bills: three sending aid to Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and a fourth that includes other national security priorities designed to sweeten the deal for wary conservatives. That includes a TikTok ban, a provision to help pay for aid by using seized Russian assets, sanctions and other measures to confront Russia, China and Iran.
House advances Ukraine, Israel aid as Dems help Speaker Johnson, GOP
Despite the measures’ popularity, Johnson risked a threat to his Speakership by bringing them up.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and strident opponent of Ukraine aid has already filed a motion to oust Johnson, though has not moved to force a vote on it.
The House is set to begin debating the bills at 9 a.m. and begin voting at 1 p.m.
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Tyler Mitchell