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And he knew there was plenty of Republican support for further Ukraine funding. But significant damage has been done to the Biden administration’s effort to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion during the funding impasse that dates to August, when the Democratic president made his first emergency spending request for Ukraine aid. Even with a burst of new weapons and ammunition, it is unlikely Ukraine will immediately recover after months of setbacks. Four Republican lawmakers voted against a motion to adjourn the House until Thursday. If the House had not adjourned, members would have held another vote for speaker. It's not at all clear whether McCarthy and his allies will be able to lock down the votes -- and the longer the fight drags on, the more imperiled his speakership bid has become.
Russia-Ukraine War
Sources said the talks tonight amongst McCarthy allies and holdouts have been the most productive and serious ones to date. In one sign of a breakthrough, a McCarthy-aligned super PAC agreed to not play in open primaries in safe seats — one of the big demands that conservatives had asked for but that McCarthy had resisted up until this point. But even if they accept it, it’s not enough to get to 218 votes, the source acknowledges.
Granderson: Arizona’s indictment of Trump allies follows a sordid, racist history
California is one of five states on Tuesday holding primaries for the presidential race as well as its state primary. In state and congressional primaries, candidates from all parties are listed on one ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. In the presidential primary, Republican voters were required to be registered with their party to vote for its nominee, but Democrats and unaffiliated voters could participate in the Democratic election. White House officials came to view Johnson as a direct and honest actor throughout the negotiations, according to a senior administration official.
Egypt sends delegation to Israel, its latest effort to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas
US Congress passes Ukraine aid after months of delay - Reuters
US Congress passes Ukraine aid after months of delay.
Posted: Wed, 24 Apr 2024 03:26:00 GMT [source]
Russia, predictably, hammered on what has become a key talking point — that U.S. assistance would do little more than prolong a bloody confrontation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also suggested that the main idea behind the package was to funnel money to U.S. weapons manufacturers. With the imminent arrival of aid, though, Ukrainian forces “will likely be able to blunt the current Russian offensive assuming the resumed U.S. assistance arrives promptly,” the institute said. And Ukrainians were braced for at least a short-term redoubling of the near-nightly pummeling of cities and towns across the country with missiles and drones — which in recent weeks was exacerbated by an alarming depletion of Ukrainian air defenses. An angry Russia could try to get in more punishing attacks before more air-defense help arrives, some feared. House of Representatives approved a long-sought $61 billion in aid, breaking a legislative logjam that had deepened hardships on the war’s front lines, and made it difficult for Ukrainian forces to fend off Russian attacks on civilian neighborhoods and critical infrastructure.
The House is now voting
On Monday afternoon, House Democratic leaders said they are considering supporting the Johnson strategy. And across the Capitol, Johnson’s plan got a bipartisan boost from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., suggesting the continuing resolution, or CR, is likely to cruise through the Senate if it can first pass out of the House. The former speaker told reporters he did not punch Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., in the kidneys. McCarthy said that he just bumped into one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust him by accident.
How a divided House passed critical foreign aid bills Brookings - Brookings Institution
How a divided House passed critical foreign aid bills Brookings.
Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:24:06 GMT [source]
Democrats signal support for Speaker Johnson’s plan to avert a government shutdown
Still, the all-out push to get the bills through Congress is a reflection not only of politics, but realities on the ground in Ukraine. Top lawmakers on national security committees, who are privy to classified briefings, have grown gravely concerned about the situation in recent as Russia pummels Ukrainian forces beset by a shortage of troops and ammunition. At stake has been one of Biden’s top foreign policy priorities — halting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s advance in Europe. After engaging in quiet talks with Johnson, the president quickly endorsed Johnson’s plan, paving the way for Democrats to give their rare support to clear the procedural hurdles needed for a final vote.
The bills moved forward despite a far-right threat to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) if he advanced Ukraine aid. The legislation includes $60 billion for Kyiv; $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. It would direct the president to seek repayment from the Ukrainian government of $10 billion in economic assistance, a concept supported by former President Donald J. Trump, who had pushed for any aid to Kyiv to be in the form of a loan.
In November, a federal judge blocked a Montana law that would ban TikTok use across the state after the company and five content creators who use the platform sued. The company has indicated that it would likely go to court to try to block the law if it passes, arguing it would deprive the app’s millions of users of their 1st Amendment rights. Speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he was confident the U.S. would be able to resume shipments of equipment by the end of the week. As the political infighting dragged on in Washington, Ukrainian officials expressed particular alarm over the systematic destruction of crucial energy infrastructure, such as a power plant wrecked by missiles outside Kyiv this month. In some parts of the country, the targeting of electricity-generating plants has caused power cuts of a scope and duration comparable to those seen much earlier in the war.
These are the 35 Republicans who voted in favor of the Jan. 6 commission bill
The ads have included a diverse group of content creators, including a nun, extolling the positive impacts of the platform on their lives and arguing a ban would trample on the 1st Amendment. The company has also encouraged its users to contact Congress, and some lawmakers have received profanity-laced calls. A few, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, could not suppress a slightly sardonic tone even in expressing relief. NATO allies that feel more directly threatened by Russia, including the Baltic states and Poland, have long viewed the conflict with a sense of crisis and urgency, and were at times incredulous as U.S. support appeared to flag. In its entirety, the package of rules and the changes forced by the ultraconservative Republicans will allow for greater transparency in how legislation is crafted.
For instance, administration officials at the speaker’s request briefed Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), two hard-right members who were persistent antagonists of Johnson. Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, and legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff were in regular contact with Johnson. Goff and Johnson’s senior staff also spoke frequently as a deal came into focus. In a daily meeting convened by White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, the president’s top aides — seated around a big oval table in Zients’ office — would brainstorm possible ways to better make the case about Ukraine’s dire situation in the absence of aid. The White House maneuvering to win additional funding for Ukraine started months earlier. TikTok said will wage a legal challenge against what it called an “unconstitutional” effort by Congress.
Lawmakers waved Ukrainian flags and cheered upon the Ukraine bill's passage. Voting in favor were 101 Republicans and 210 Democrats, while Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., voted present. Speaker Mike Johnson walked to the House floor without commenting on efforts from GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to oust him from leadership. He also said, "I don't think so," when asked whether he believes there will be a motion to vacate today. Ukrainian servicemen told CNN the US House vote to approve military aid provides a much-needed shot in the arm.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise doesn't think Johnson is going to lose his job due to putting the foreign aid package on the floor, which was advanced by the help of Democrats. In private conversations with Johnson, Biden and White House officials emphasized the stakes for Europe if Ukraine were to fall to Russia. Tucked into the measure is a provision that gives TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, nine months to sell it or face a nationwide prohibition in the United States.
The weekend scene presented a striking display of congressional action after months of dysfunction and stalemate fueled by Republicans, who hold the majority but are deeply split over foreign aid, particularly for Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion. Johnson relied on Democratic support to ensure the military and humanitarian support, with the first major package for Ukraine since December 2022, won approval. Taken together, they include the $95 billion aid package championed by Biden, with some changes from the version the Senate passed two months ago. House Republicans have slipped TikTok legislation into the foreign aid package in hopes that it forces the Senate to a quick vote on the measure. If the Senate votes to approve the TikTok legislation, it heads to the desk of Biden, who endorsed the prior version of the bill and may quickly sign any foreign aid package that includes similar language targeting TikTok.
Instead, they are bringing the CR to the floor “under suspension of the rules.” This means it will need the support of two-thirds of the chamber to pass. More Republicans — 93 — voted against this CR than opposed the last clean funding bill in September. Before the vote, former President Donald Trump issued a confusing statement that sympathized with both the pro- and anti-Ukraine aid factions of the GOP without taking a clear position. The Ukraine aid bill comes at a crucial time in the country’s war with Russia, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed the urgent need for weapons and supplies to continue defending Ukraine from Russian attacks. The Israel bill passed , with 193 Republicans and 173 Democrats voting in favor. “What he's showing is that, in my humble opinion, we are allowing Chuck Schumer to run the House of Representatives, and to me that's very disturbing,” he added, referring to the Democratic Senate majority leader.
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