But in this chaotic Republican-led House, nothing can be certain until all votes are officially cast and counted. Moreover, avoiding a government shutdown, while important, is not even the most important item on Congress’s agenda. A supplemental spending bill that includes aid to Ukraine remains in limbo. The bill passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 70-29, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has so far argued for a passage that would likely pass easily. refuses to attach it. Despite its vital importance to Ukraine, Europe and, of course, the United States, it is opposed by the isolationist right wing of the Republican Party, influenced by former President Donald Trump.
Johnson may not want to run into a confrontation with former President Trump as he advances to become the Republican presidential nominee for the third consecutive year. But his more pressing concern may be the potential reaction of extremist House Republicans. If Mr. Johnson relies heavily on Democratic votes to pass the $95 billion bill, which includes billions more than just Ukraine, he could try to oust him from the speakership. Large amounts of dollars are also spent on military aid to Israel and Taiwan.
The threat became all too plausible after the Republican revolt that ousted Kevin McCarthy from the Speaker’s chair in October. This is the first time in the country’s history that a sitting speaker has been ousted. Rebels say Mr. McCarthy’s crime was to try to stop the government shutdown by passing a reasonable compromise budget negotiated with President Biden. He would save $1.4 trillion over the next 10 years.
Mr. Johnson faces a similar choice. Do the right thing and defeat a certain percentage of House Republicans, or capitulate to the extremists in order to maintain control of the Speaker’s gavel, whether that means betraying Ukraine and leaving the people. be. We don’t have enough equipment to fight Russian aggression.
Mr Johnson does not want to become the second speaker to be ousted. But there is reason to believe that the political calculations he faces may be different from those faced by his predecessors. Mr. Johnson will not stir up the kind of pent-up personal animosity among the Republican public that Mr. McCarthy did in his long quest for the gavel. Democrats could save Mr. McCarthy by giving him enough support to defeat the recall vote, rather than forcing him to rely on a razor-thin Republican majority to remain in the chair. It should be. But they weren’t willing to do that after Trump betrayed him.
President Trump’s Responsibility in the January 6, 2021 Riots. Mr. Johnson is somewhat palatable to Democrats.
In any case, with this Congress ending in less than a year, the question of who lives in the speaker’s office is no longer as important. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York has already indicated that enough Democrats will step in to protect Mr. Johnson’s chairmanship if the Foreign Military and Humanitarian Assistance Act passes. That makes sense. The vote on the government funding and support for Ukraine bill is likely to be the last major action taken by the House. (Although we hope the Senate passes a pending bipartisan tax deal that will help millions of children in low-income families in the U.S.) There’s not much left to negotiate. .
Although Mr Johnson faces fewer risks than Mr McCarthy, there is more urgency for him to act.
Ukraine is in a dire situation. Reports say critical air defense supplies could be depleted in just a few weeks. Abandoning Ukraine’s brave military, in which the United States has already invested heavily, would shred American credibility, and Russia, China and others fear that if they wait too long, America’s resolve will falter in the face of invasion. will encourage you to calculate.
Yes, we are relieved that we have avoided closure for now. But Congress’s work is not done yet. Johnson joins Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and many other Republicans who agree with him that the United States cannot abdicate its international responsibilities and that it is time for the House to vote on aid to Ukraine. We should listen to the opinions of our members.