Johnson gambles on plan separating Israel aid from Ukraine funds

[demmiblue]

Source: WaPo

After months of inaction, House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled on Monday evening an outline of his plan to address the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, defying Republicans who threatened to oust him from the speakership if he moved forward with funding for Ukraine.

But Johnson (R-La.) risks appeasing no one with a convoluted plan to placate his critics on the right while also giving national security hawks a chance to advance billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

Johnson plans to put four different bills on the floor, essentially decoupling aid for Israel — which faced a barrage of missiles and drones from Iran over the weekend in retaliation for a deadly airstrike on its consulate in Syria — from help for Ukraine, which is more controversial inside his conference. The speaker will then advance separate votes for aid to Taiwan and a measure to satisfy Republican foreign policy demands, including the seizure of Russian assets.

It’s a major gamble by the embattled Johnson, who was elevated to lead the fractious GOP conference after the unprecedented ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The former low-profile lawmaker has had trouble rallying a majority of his conference on almost anything and has had to rely on Democrats on substantive issues, including keeping the government open.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/15/mike-johnson-israel-ukraine-aid-house-republicans/

[dlk]

1. Johnson needs to show some courage and do his job

Not likely to happen, though. He’s far too weak.

[ananda]

5. Weak and Kompromat.

And just disgusting in every way.

[Demsrule86]

13. He won't get support. And without Democrats to save him, he is finished.

[Lovie777]

2. This guy is no leader...................

[slightlv]

3. All this so they can cause a regional (at least) war in the Middle East.

That way, they figure, their Christ will have no choice but to come back --now--... /s

[ancianita]

7. They do that because

they back antichrist and have turned their backs on their God. They've been captured by oligarchs who worship Mammon.

There's no way the temporal world or these MAGAs can manipulate international events to bring on any apocalypse. Biden knows that Johnson knows that.

Biden, as a Christian Catholic, has some influence on Johnson, since Biden can remind him of what their Bible says (JB knows scripture) about God supporting just leadership, government, and governance.

[Fiendish Thingy]

4. Even if Ukraine aid passes the house, it will likely die in the senate

Since this is a new and different bill than the one the senate recently passed, it will have to be debated again, and unless there are 10 (or more depending on Manchin and Sinema) republicans who will vote for cloture, the bill will never come to a vote.

[maxsolomon]

10. If it makes it through the house, the Senate will come around.

There are still enough GQP Senators who are for Ukraine aid.

The entire key is getting it to the floor in the House.

[machoneman]

6. His goal is to never send $ to Ukraine. Only Israel counts in his week little mind.

[blue-wave]

9. Spot on

We can and should do both. The devil's helper in the speaker's chair is playing a dangerous game that could very well lead to WWIII.

[orangecrush]

8. Helping his buddy Putin again

Nothing has changed.

[maxsolomon]

11. He could have done this 2 months ago.

Amateur.

[CousinIT]

12. He got his marching orders from Trump in his recent visit. On Ukraine the orders are:

DELAY
DELAY
DELAY
DELAY

That's what Trump does. That's what he ordered his little Johnson to do.

[johnnyfins]

14. Golly Gee...Is it just a coinkydink that

Speaker, small Johnson, got his orders right before Sunkist Fuckhead has to sit in a courtroom for the next 2 months?

Please.

Im trying not to hate my country, but...