Aid for Ukraine proposals stir controversy in U.S. House Vote
The House of Representatives is set to consider separate aid packages for Ukraine, Israel, and Indo-Pacific nations, announced Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. This new initiative by the Republican leader aims to finally deliver the long-delayed support to Ukraine.
For nearly six months, Republicans have stalled on the issue of providing billion-dollar support to Ukraine. However, a surprising twist has recently emerged.
Speaker Mike Johnson, who plays a crucial role in deciding which bills the House processes, has proposed a new aid package proposal.
The Senate's solution from February, which proposed a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Indo-Pacific countries, including Taiwan, will not go to vote. Instead, Johnson is pushing for separate packages for each nation. For Ukraine, the Republicans are expected to propose a $60 billion aid package on Tuesday, along with two additional measures: one allowing the use of frozen Russian assets and another converting aid to loans or equipment leases.
This innovative proposal has garnered significant attention and has a prominent advocate.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, known for opposing direct financial aid to Ukraine, seems to influence Speaker Johnson's decisions. Trump recently argued that the U.S. should support Ukraine with loans rather than gifts.
The House of Representatives may vote on these new measures on Friday, after which they would return to the Senate. However, this plan remains uncertain as Congress is due for a two-week recess starting this Friday.
Dispute over Ukraine within the Republican Party
According to CNN, Johnson’s aid packages would allocate similar amounts as the Senate's earlier bill, with $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel.
The Speaker's strategy, aimed at mollifying party members opposed to aid for Ukraine, seeks to break the nearly half-year impasse.
Support for Kyiv enjoys broad backing from a majority of congressmen, despite a small but vocal group of opponents.
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to call for Johnson's removal if he supports the aid, calling his plan a scam that people are tired of. She has not confirmed if she will act on her threat. Previously, she criticized the combination of aid for Ukraine and Israel as "antisemitic" and called for separating the two issues.
The White House disapproves of replacing the comprehensive Senate bill with separate packages. As recently as Monday, the Biden administration reiterated its opposition to splitting the aid.
However, some Democrats have suggested they could endorse the plan if it expedites the delivery of crucial aid to Kyiv.
