House Democrats — along with erstwhile Republican Congressman Ken Buck (R-CO) who backed the measure before leaving office — want to pressure House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the Senate-passed $95 billion foreign aid bill up for a vote. Johnson famously called the bill Dead On Arrival in the lower chamber, but Dems launched a discharge petition earlier this month to try to force Johnson to put the bill on the floor.
The bill, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine aid, is believed to have enough support to pass in the House. This weekend the discharge petition sponsor Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) put the issue into stark relief, saying the vote would provide a binary litmus test for U.S. lawmakers like Johnson, who would be forced to decide, as McGovern says, “if you’re for helping Ukraine against Putin, then you can vote yes, if you’re not — if you’re on the side of Putin — you can vote no.“
It’s time for @SpeakerJohnson to decide what matters more: defending democracy or helping Putin. pic.twitter.com/IRtgoDK2pJ
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) March 29, 2024
The aid bill easily passed the Senate with bipartisan support, 70-29.
Johnson has vowed Ukraine support in the past, but his commitment to the cause has been imperiled by far-right GOP actors like Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — and an aversion from the top, as presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has questioned the value of U.S. Ukraine support. Greene, of course, has filed a motion to vacate Johnson from the Speaker’s chair, just as Gaetz did to Johnson’s predecessor Kevin McCarthy.