Through an early morning session of debates and negotiations, Senate Republicans had finally passed a $95 billion foreign aid package to send to the House for approval. But shortly after the bill was handed over, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) put the final nail in the coffin, all but guaranteeing the bill’s demise.
In a hallway interview, Johnson firmly stated that the House would be focusing on upcoming appropriations deadlines instead of the passed foreign aid package, making it clear that he had no intention of putting the bill up for a vote.
This decision directly clashes with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) victory lap after the successful passing of the bill, where he proclaimed that “the Senate did not blink” in their efforts to send aid to Ukraine.
But Johnson’s unwillingness to bring the bill to the floor is not an isolated incident. In fact, he had made his opposition to the measure known the night before, stating that America deserved better than the “status quo” of the Senate.
The Speaker’s stance has effectively put a wrench in McConnell’s plans to extend the ongoing war in Ukraine, with a recent email from a McConnell staffer even suggesting that Johnson should be willing to sacrifice his speakership in order to push the foreign aid bill through the House. This suggestion is indicative of the growing rift within the Republican party, with some members even calling for McConnell’s replacement as their leader.
McConnell’s push for the aid package has caused significant division within the Republican party, with less than half of Senate Republicans joining their leader in passing the bill.
Furthermore, the idea of potentially causing a government shutdown in order to send billions of dollars to foreign governments in an election year is not a popular one among the party.
Perhaps the most telling sign of the disconnect between McConnell and his colleagues is the prioritization of foreign aid over crucial issues like border security, immigration, crime, and the economy.
While McConnell and his remaining allies continue to champion the cause of sending aid to Ukraine, polling data consistently shows that Americans are more concerned with domestic issues that directly impact their daily lives.
“The Republican-led House will not be jammed or forced into passing a foreign aid bill that was opposed by most Republican senators and does nothing to secure our own border.”
— Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on the Senate’s bipartisan $95 billion foreign aid package pic.twitter.com/hq7XXheUgT
— The Recount (@therecount) February 14, 2024
In his attempt to secure a legacy-defining victory, McConnell has chosen to focus on a cause that is not resonating with the American people and is causing further division within his own party. And now, with Speaker Johnson refusing to even entertain the idea of bringing the bill to a vote, the fate of the $95 billion foreign aid package seems all but sealed.
