Actions provoke opposition, and Mike Johnson has experienced this firsthand as Republicans demand his resignation. This attitude towards their fellow party member stems from his intention to bring the issue of providing funds to Ukraine and Israel to a vote this coming weekend.
Initially, there were all prospects for no difficulties to arise with this issue. Last summer, the US President appealed to Congress to allocate additional funds to partner countries, namely Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and others. But after a brilliant start in the fall, problems arose, and everything stalled.
A glimmer of hope emerged in February of this year. The Senate, where Democratic forces consistently dominate, approved a $95 billion package, but everything stopped there. The situation remained unchanged even when Ukrainian servicemen were facing desperate conditions on the front lines. Despite all the risks and the escalating catastrophe, Speaker Johnson refused to put the bill to a vote, as it could lead to his removal from office. His predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, faced a similar path of misunderstandings and removal.
However, it seems that now everything is moving quickly. Within the week, the Speaker announced five different bills to be voted on this Saturday. Among them are:
- $61 billion allocation to Ukraine;
- $26 billion to Israel;
- $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region.
The Israel package also includes $9 billion for humanitarian aid to Gaza residents and other regions currently experiencing military conflicts.
The fourth bill proved to be the most interesting, as it contains:
- A ban on TikTok if the Chinese owning company does not sell the social network;
- Confiscation of Russian assets to financially support Ukraine’s reconstruction;
- Strengthened sanctions against Russia, China, and Iran.
The fifth bill includes a provision to strengthen immigration policy and measures to bolster border protection with Mexico to the south. This provision was developed to meet the demands of the party’s right wing, which blocked efforts to provide aid without stricter immigration measures. This became a February fiasco as Trump did not approve it. Political analysts explain that for this presidential candidate, it is not beneficial for immigration problems to be resolved this way; he needs to personally overcome them during the campaign, as this is a trump card for any modern US presidential candidate.
It seems that these bills could have been considered separately, but Republicans do not favor this approach because the first four will pass while the fifth, apparently, will not. However, the first four are directly aligned with President Biden’s goals. Can Trump allow this now? Certainly not.
Therefore, Trump’s trusted person, Taylor Green, along with another Republican deputy, announced that they would initiate a vote of no confidence in Johnson, accusing him of betraying their cause.
Before understanding what is hindering the aid distribution, one must remember one fact: a significant portion of the funds goes directly to America’s defense industry. In reality, the question arises about the remaining $10 billion. They wanted to issue it as a loan, but over time, the debt could be forgiven and written off.
This is where Trump comes into play. In February, he demanded that the US gain benefits for the aid, as helping is a bad thing. Johnson agreed with this sentiment. Even Biden concurred. But now the question is about Johnson and the vote of no confidence. He can survive it only if Democrats come to his rescue with their votes, even if it puts him in an even more dependent position on the party’s right wing.
The Speaker is well aware of the danger looming over him but commented on it: “My philosophy is to do the right things.” Months of hesitation have turned into determination: “We will not allow Putin to march through Europe.”
Only one question remains: why did it take Johnson so long to remember his philosophy? Perhaps the truth lies in the fact that he finally managed to negotiate with Trump when they met a week ago in Florida. Trump then indicated his support for the Speaker. He also added that he wants to turn the allocation of funds to Ukraine from a gift to a loan.
Such a position disappointed the party’s right wing, but why did Trump suddenly change his mind? Maybe he knows that Ukraine’s defeat will undermine voters’ trust in him. Perhaps the pressure from moderate Republicans increased after Iran’s massive attack on Israel last Saturday.
But the current situation does not mean that aid to Ukraine has almost happened. Even Trump, when asked if he would support Johnson amidst a vote of no confidence, evaded a concrete answer, saying, “We’ll see.”
