On Friday, with the help of Democrats, the US House of Representatives advanced a long-delayed $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region, overcoming months of opposition from Republican hardliners.
The aid package, supported by both parties, also includes national security and sanction provisions. The bill allows for the seizure of Russian assets in US dollars, which critics say could undermine the US dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency.
The legislation also includes a provision that requires the Chinese parent company of the social media platform TikTok to divest, or else the platform will face a ban in the US.
In a procedural vote on Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, with the help of Democrats, pushed forward the legislative package with a vote of 316 to 94, overcoming resistance from conservative factions within his own party.
More Democrats supported advancing the aid package with 165 Democratic members in favor of the procedural step. 55 Republicans voted against it.
This long-delayed aid bill is crucial for Ukraine to resist missile attacks from Russian forces, which have destroyed major power plants and other infrastructure in Ukraine. US and Ukrainian officials warn that without these weapons, Kyiv would struggle to hold the line and could face defeat on the battlefield by the end of this year.
Johnson announced that the House will vote on the comprehensive aid package on Saturday evening.
President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have been pushing for the House to vote on the aid package from the outset.
According to Bloomberg, House Rules Committee Chairman Michael Burgess, a Republican from Texas who supports the proposal, said, “We are at a turning point, and the longer we wait, any solution to resolve this conflict will become more costly, whether in terms of money or lives.”
Johnson now faces backlash from Republican hardliners, which could jeopardize his position as Speaker.
Before the vote on Friday, Johnson said, “I’m not worried. I’m just doing my job, and I won’t be intimidated.”
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia submitted a motion last month to remove the House Speaker from his position.
Shortly after the vote on Friday, Republican hardliner Paul Gosar from Arizona announced that he will seek to oust Johnson along with Republican Congressman Thomas Massie from Kentucky.
Reportedly, some moderate Democrats have pledged to vote down the motion to remove the Speaker to protect him from such attempts.
With the Republicans’ slim majority, it means Johnson will need at least some Democratic support to retain his leadership position. Some Democrats have already indicated they will support Johnson, and more may be willing to do so after the aid package is approved.
According to Bloomberg, the contents of the aid package were negotiated between Schumer and the White House, so despite vows from conservative Senate members to delay the process, the package is expected to pass in the Senate.