Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) presented President Joe Biden with a $61 billion donation on Saturday afternoon, going back on his previous commitment to not support foreign aid until the country’s border was secured. Several Democrats, along with a few Republicans, expressed their support by cheering, chanting “Ukraine,” and waving Ukrainian flags as the vote for Ukraine aid came to an end.
“It is in violation of decorum to waive flags on the floor,” Johnson scored Democrats.
The foreign aid for Ukraine was approved with a vote of 311 in favor and 112 against. Notably, Republican Dan Mauser (R-PA) chose to abstain from voting. Once again, Johnson disregarded the Hastert Rule, as only 101 Republicans supported his decision while a clear majority of 112 opposed it.
Republican House members distributed a document that detailed Johnson’s repeated insistence that the House would not move forward with the foreign aid package until America’s southern border was secured. Johnson’s change of stance came after publicly expressing uncertainty in early March, following a meeting at the White House on February 28. This reversal can be attributed to months of influence from both the White House and establishment Republicans.
“We’ve been working with him for months to try to get him there,” one anonymous lawmaker told Politico, which said Johnson’s Ukraine bill would “grant Biden a major foreign policy victory that has eluded him for a year.”
Mike Johnson’s initiation into the White House and intelligence state reeducation program commenced immediately after he assumed his position. As reported by Politico, the administration organized a series of confidential briefings for Johnson and other lawmakers to provide them with updates on the deteriorating situation in Ukraine. These briefings began just days after Johnson became the speaker.
Prominent officials, including CIA Director William Burns and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, were actively involved in conducting these briefings. The Ukraine bill, which is part of a larger foreign aid package, does not encompass provisions for border security.
Earlier in the day, Johnson conducted a vote on a border security bill. However, he moved this bill under suspension of the rules, necessitating a two-thirds majority for its passage. Unfortunately, the bill received 215 votes in favor and 199 votes in opposition, resulting in its failure. Once the bill reaches the Senate, it is anticipated that they will take prompt action on it.