The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, announced on Monday (April 15) that there will be separate votes this week on legislation to provide assistance to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other measures to advance various laws.
Johnson proposed a vote on four independent bills during a meeting with House Republican members on Monday evening. This includes funding for Taiwan, imposing additional sanctions on Iran, and a bill to allow Ukraine to access frozen Russian assets.
“We have terrorists, tyrants, and dreadful leaders like Putin, Xi Jinping, and Iran around the world watching to see if the United States will stand up for our allies and our own interests globally, and we will,” Johnson said after the meeting.
“We will be voting on assistance to Israel, assistance to Ukraine, assistance in the Indo-Pacific region, and then another measure with national security priorities, including… additional sanctions on Iran and other measures we have long discussed here,” Johnson added.
“This is a priority, and I do hope to get this work done this week,” Johnson emphasized.
“The issue of Ukraine is obviously the most contentious for the Republicans,” Johnson said. “I think the American people deserve an explanation as to why providing assistance here serves the interests of Americans.”
The package departs from the $950 billion aid package passed by the Senate in February this year, and it remains unclear whether it will pass both chambers of Congress. However, Johnson stated that he will be discussing with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to garner support.
“We will abide by the 72-hour rule. This may mean that if we get the bill text tomorrow (April 16) morning, it could be a vote on Friday night,” Johnson said.
This move indicates that Johnson is taking action to provide more military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, including two days after Iran’s attack on America’s closest ally in the Middle East, Israel.
For months, European allies and Ukrainian leaders have been urging the US Congress to authorize more aid to Kyiv, warning that without additional US support, the Ukrainian forces could lose more ground in battles against Russian troops.
Last Friday (April 12), Johnson met with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Trump later told the media that he was “looking into” the Ukraine aid bill. As of Monday, Trump had not commented on Johnson’s latest proposal.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene openly opposed aid to Ukraine. On Monday, Johnson brushed off suggestions that Greene would try to oust him over his latest proposal. He said, “I’m not going to spend time worrying about a motion to vacate.”
The White House did not immediately respond to Johnson’s proposal on Monday evening. Earlier on Monday, President Biden, in a speech welcoming Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala to Washington, urged Congress to take action on a supplemental aid bill.