Johnson’s Plan B for Ukraine leaves questions unanswered

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) Ukraine aid Plan B raises as many questions as it answers.

He told Republican senators last week that he would introduce a bill to provide new military funding to Kiev after the House considers alternative spending measures to prevent a March 22 government shutdown. Told.

In a subsequent interview with Politico, Johnson said: shown He said he would move the proposal through procedural steps that would require support from a significant number of Democrats. He also floated the idea of ​​separating legislation to increase aid to Ukraine and military aid to Israel.

The vague outlines of the strategy create much uncertainty about the specific path Johnson intends to pursue. That includes how Johnson intends to include tougher border security measures, which he has previously called for, in the National Security Supplement. How does he plan to win support from Democrats for a proposal that deviates from the Senate-approved foreign aid package that the Senate has insisted on? And if it rejects conservative demands, many of whom oppose further aid to Ukraine, how will it prevent a conservative revolt, especially without stronger border policies?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested on Friday that many of these details remained unclear.

Asked on Friday if he was considering a Ukraine aid bill that lacked border security, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We are looking at all options on all the issues on the table, but we are not making any announcements about that yet.” I’m not ready to do that.”

But faced with the prospect of moving forward with aid to Kiev in the absence of a policy to address the situation on the southern border, Prime Minister Johnson reiterated his long-standing claim that border security must be a top priority.

“I believe, and the American people believe, that we must secure our borders as a top priority. I think that is a sentiment that the majority of the people of this country expect and deserve, and that we ‘We will continue to apply pressure to that end,’ he told reporters.

Months of deadlock, combined with the worsening plight of Ukraine’s armed forces, have left Kyiv supporters in both parties frustrated and wondering when Johnson will finally make a decision.

“The big unanswered question right now is that Mike Johnson keeps telling everyone he’s going to get aid to Ukraine, he’s going to get aid to Israel. No one knows how.” said Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, before Johnson’s remarks to the Senate and Politico.

“So the big unanswered question is what his plans are,” he continued. “And I don’t know.”

The debate highlights the predicament Mr. Johnson and other Republican leaders find themselves in as they grapple with a strategy to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invading forces.

Johnson also said he wanted to step up support for Ukraine’s military, which has fallen into a corner over the last few weeks as it has been outnumbered by Russia and has run low on ammunition. “I understand the timeline and I understand the need for urgency in funding,” he said during a House Republican retreat in West Virginia last week.

Meanwhile, the speaker has been careful not to antagonize conservatives in his own conference, especially since conservatives are worried that Congress will need more security at the U.S.-Mexico border if it doesn’t act simultaneously. It is wary of sending billions of dollars to Kiev.

The constant threat of Mr Johnson’s motion to remove the gavel, which led to the overthrow of his predecessor, hangs over him.

“The ridiculous nature of this place is that if you introduce a separate bill, it will pass,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). “But our chairman is between a rock and a hard place, which means if he brings them individually, his job could be lost.”

In a delicate effort to thread the needle, Prime Minister Johnson told Senate Republicans on Wednesday that he intended to amend a foreign aid package that provides about $60 billion to Ukraine, making the aid a loan program rather than a grant. Ta. The proposal, at least in theory, would relieve some of the burden on U.S. taxpayers, and it would also help former President Trump kill a Senate policy proposal that combined foreign aid and domestic border security. It also has the added benefit of being supportive.

In his address to senators, Johnson also promoted the idea of ​​repaying Ukraine aid through the confiscation and liquidation of seized Russian assets around the world. The idea was proposed by Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas), the foreign House speaker. Issues Committee strongly urges further support for Ukraine.

Asked in West Virginia whether Johnson had given a commitment to bring the Ukraine aid bill to the floor, McCall declined to discuss private conversations, but said: “I don’t believe he will.” “The process is finished,” he said, noting that it would be after the appropriations are completed.

But it remains unclear how Republican leaders plan to put the various pieces together and how they plan to get it through the bitterly divided House.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson signaled Friday that he would continue to advocate for stronger border security as part of a broader discussion on national security.

“We always prioritize border security. This is a very important part of the equation and conversation, and I’ve been consistent about that since day one,” he said.

But the border rules he called for were flatly rejected by Democrats. These are the same Democrats he aims to move this bill through a procedural maneuver called the moratorium calendar that would require it to pass. The process allows Republican leaders to bypass conservative opposition, but a two-thirds majority is needed to send the bill to the Senate, which can only be achieved with significant Democratic buy-in. It’s an impossible hurdle.

“I think this is an independent thing and I think it needs to be stopped,” Johnson said. told Politico.

By “alone,” I mean Johnson doesn’t want the foreign aid provisions attached to the “minibus” spending bill that Congress is expected to consider this week to prevent a government shutdown or other must-pass legislation. I made it clear. A leadership aide told The Hill earlier this year.

But leadership aides say he has not ruled out splitting different parts of the foreign aid package into separate bills that would receive separate votes. House Republicans have already voted twice on the Israel portion, passing it once and failing it the second time, but they are pushing for lawmakers to consider all elements of the national security supplement as one. As such, this idea will go nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

However, the aide said elements of the Foreign Assistance Act were still being considered with member states and there was no guarantee that anything could be moved.

Meanwhile, pressure for action against Mr Johnson is mounting.

President Biden implored the speaker to approve aid to Kiev in a public appearance with Johnson on Friday and asked him to send a supplement to the Senate on national security during a Friends of Ireland luncheon on Capitol Hill. Appealed.

“I’m sure the majority agrees, and I’m sorry to say this, but I think the vast majority of members of Congress are trying to do their part. And I think this room I continue to appeal to all of our members in the United States to stand up to Vladimir Putin. He’s a thug,” Biden said as people in the room, including Johnson, who was seated just a few feet away. There was applause.

Irish leader Leo Varadkar echoed this call, declaring: “Ukraine must not collapse. We must work together to support it for as long as it takes.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also battling two discharge petitions that are gathering signatures to force a vote on aid to Kiev.

One discharge petition, led by Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), would bypass leadership and pass the Senate foreign aid bill. The other, led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), would trigger a vote on his national security supplement bill, which includes aid to Ukraine and Israel in addition to border security provisions. Become.

But neither has enough support to bypass leadership, leaving all power in the hands of Mr Johnson as he grapples with how to deal with the thorny issue of aiding Ukraine.

Lawmakers are waiting and watching closely to see his next move.