Democrats Unusually Vote to Save Measure Permitting Vote on Ukraine Bill
TL/DR –
US House Republicans have advanced a foreign aid bill for Ukraine and Israel, overcoming opposition from far-right Republicans with assistance from Democrats. The $95 billion aid package was saved in a key committee by Democrats, marking an extraordinary break from the norm. Speaker Mike Johnson’s strategy, involving separate votes on aid to different countries before combining them, will require significant support from Democrats for it to pass.
House Republicans Move Key Foreign Aid Bill for Ukraine and Israel Forward
House Republicans progressed the long-delayed foreign aid bill for Ukraine and Israel late Thursday, relying on Democratic votes to move it from the Rules Committee to the House floor.
The 9-to-3 Rules Committee vote initiated the complex process expected to result in the approval of the $95 billion aid package in the coming days. This notably highlighted the discord from far-right Republicans against Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to advance the bill, and the significant dependence on Democrats to pass it.
Three far-right Republicans on the Rules Committee, which determines what legislation reaches the House floor, opposed the rule needed to initiate the foreign aid bill. This initially threatened the bill’s progress, but Democrats intervened to keep it alive in a remarkable break from tradition.
All Democrats supported the plan in the committee vote, which traditionally reflects the speaker’s preferences and typically proceeds to the floor with partisan support.
Democrats will likely provide the votes needed on the House floor to approve the rule and advance the aid package, in a further unconventional vote faced with Republican resistance.
The rule is vital to Mr. Johnson’s strategy for passing the foreign aid package, as it would allow separate votes on aid to Israel and Ukraine. These are supported by different coalitions, but the rule will merge them without a requirement for lawmakers to vote on the entire bill.
The far-right lawmakers who tried to block the measure won seats on the Rules panel last year as a concession by previous speaker, Kevin McCarthy. These lawmakers blocked the foreign aid package as it didn’t include a vote on stringent border security provisions they prioritised over Ukrainian aid.
This led to an unprecedented act of defiance, leaving Democrats to rescue the Speaker and advance the measure through the panel. Mr. Johnson expects the House to pass the aid package on Saturday, as he stated in a Newsmax interview on Thursday night.
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