After the Senate green-lit a whopping $95 billion foreign aid package, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) put his foot down, refusing to even think about a vote on it until the U.S. southern border situation is dealt with. "We owe it to Americans to secure that border," Johnson stated, drawing a line in the sand.
In the face of this, House Democrats are scheming to bypass him with a sneaky move called a discharge petition. They need 218 signatures, including some from the GOP, to drag the bill onto the floor against Johnson's wishes.
This hefty package throws $60 billion Ukraine's way, hands $14 billion to Israel for military gear, dishes out $9 billion in humanitarian aid to Gaza and beyond, and earmarks about $5 billion to help Taiwan stand its ground.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is rallying his troops, promising to pull out all the stops to push this bill through, nudging "traditional Republicans" to jump on board. Jeffries is pushing hard, claiming it's about "America’s national security," though he's a bit fuzzy on how defending Ukraine's borders fits into that narrative.
Johnson's stance? He's dead set against the discharge trick, hinting if the bill hits the floor, it's likely to pass, much to his chagrin. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is also not having any of it, pegging himself as a solid "no."
Then there's Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who's all in for Ukraine but seemingly less concerned about our own border's woes. He's itching for a vote to show House support for Ukraine, amidst rumors to the contrary.
Jeffries claims the bill has "more than 300 bipartisan votes" waiting in the House, but whether the moderate Republicans, who've kept their distance from Johnson's hardline stance, will step up remains a big question.
The whole situation puts GOP members in a tight spot - vote for what they believe in or stay in line with party leadership's agenda, especially on something as divisive as Ukraine aid, which both Trump and the GOP base are not too keen on.
Meanwhile, House Intel Chair Mike Turner (R-OH) is pressing hard, saying it's crunch time for Ukraine support. His take? Dodging this vote is akin to abandoning Ukraine, echoing the sentiment that, like the Democrats with the southern border, it's time to take action.
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