Democrats in US Congress pledge support for Speaker Johnson's Ukraine aid bill
Democrats in the United States House of Representatives are preparing to vote on Republican Speaker Mike Johnson's package of financial assistance for Ukraine, which is likely to be debated Saturday after months of delay.
Source: Bloomberg, as reported by European Pravda
Details: House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that they will do everything "necessary to make sure the national security bill gets over the finish line."
"It’s not Johnson’s foreign aid package. It’s America’s foreign aid package in terms of meeting our national security needs," he said.
Speaker Johnson will require Democratic votes to pass the project after far-right Republicans in the House of Representatives announced that they would vote against procedural motions to begin debate on it.
Democrats could also help Johnson keep his position, which has been threatened by his decision to allow a vote on aid to Ukraine without tying it to US border security provisions.
Bloomberg reported that some moderate Democrats have already pledged to defend the speaker from such an attempt by far-right Republicans by voting against the resignation demand.
Johnson stated late Wednesday that he had not asked Democrats for assistance and was willing to lose his job to help Ukraine stop Russian aggression.
"My philosophy is you do the right thing and you let the chips fall where they may. I’m a Reagan Republican. I believe in peace through strength," he said.
Background:
- On 15 April, Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, introduced four separate bills on aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other US national security priorities.
- The "Ukrainian" package calls for the allocation of approximately US$61 billion to assist Ukraine and its supporters. The bill's final vote should take place on Saturday evening, 20 April.
- US President Joe Biden expressed his readiness to sign, if approved by Congress, bills on supplemental funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
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