Aid to Ukraine. Johnson gives some Republicans opportunity to prepare new bill – CNN
House Speaker Mike Johnson met privately with House Republicans who favor the Senate's compromise bill, which includes foreign aid and restrictions on the border with Mexico. They want to finalize this document and bring it to a vote in April, CNN reported.
Earlier Johnson swiftly rejected a bipartisan aid package for Ukraine from the Senate, but left the door open for a new proposal that appeared in the House of Representatives from Republicans.
According to journalists, the leading role in finalizing the compromise bill was taken by the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, who promised to reach a consensus by the end of March or in April.
McCaul told CNN that the group of congressmen is also considering other changes to the bill, including confiscating frozen Russian assets in the United States and handing them over to Ukraine.
According to him, the participants are considering the possibility of turning part of the aid into a US loan — this idea was previously put forward by the 45th American president, Donald Trump.
Johnson has not yet taken a position on a possible new draft law with the support for Ukraine, saying that a law on state funding must be passed first.
Journalists noted that even considering such a potential bill threatens Johnson with losing his position. The right wing of the Republican Party directly warned him not to approve another penny for Ukraine, otherwise they would vote for his resignation.
In addition, it will need Democratic support for passage — also a tall order, given that the new bill could include new border restrictions and aid to Israel, which the left wing of the Democratic Party may not like.
On February 14, 2024, Biden called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Johnson, to immediately put a bill on aid to Ukraine to a vote.
A delay in military aid to Ukraine from the United States may lead to European countries increasing their military support through the purchase of American weapons.
On February 21, Biden declared that Speaker Johnson must put to a vote the bill with assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. According to the American leader, the document will be approved by the House if it is put to a vote.
On February 28, Johnson said that he would put the continuation of aid to Ukraine to a vote "in a timely manner", but the priority is the border with Mexico.
On the same day, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, initiated an open letter from the speakers of 23 parliaments and the head of the European Parliament to Johnson with a request to submit the draft law for consideration.