Lifeline for foreign aid package, speaker's job up to Democrats

WASHINGTON — The fate of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as well as Speaker Mike Johnson’s job appears to be in the hands of House Democrats, as Johnson aims to pass billions of dollars to support U.S. allies this week.

Johnson, R-La., told Republicans in a conference meeting Tuesday that the House would hold individual votes on four bills — aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and then a fourth bill with a mix of items — and then combine them into one package to send over to the Senate.

This strategy is infuriating House Republicans who are against aid for Ukraine. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., announced after the meeting that he is now on board with the effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to boot Johnson from the speaker’s chair.

Two Republican votes would be enough to remove Johnson from the office after Friday, when Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., is set to resign, unless Democrats step in to save him.

And it was clear after the meeting that Johnson would lose a significant number of Republican votes on the rule needed to advance the measures, meaning he would need help from Democrats to get the aid that many on both sides of the aisle want to get across the finish line.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, said leaving the meeting that there was no path to adoption of the rule with Republican votes alone. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., the newest member of the Rules Committee, agreed.

“Watch the procedural votes. The Democrats have the ability to help us on procedure on this funding mechanism,” Scott said. “Let’s see if they do.”

‘MIRV’ strategy

Johnson told Republicans Tuesday morning that combining the bills into one package would force the Senate to consider everything the House passes, Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., said.

“So you can’t cherry-pick it, and say, ‘Yee-haw, there goes Ukraine,’ and the rest of them get the usual sentence of death from the Senate leadership,” Amodei, a senior appropriator, said.

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