Speaker Mike Johnson is facing potential mutiny within his caucus as he plans to bring a bill to the House floor to secure additional funding for Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Despite the risk of losing his job, Rep. Don Bacon expressed optimism that Democrats will support Johnson’s efforts. The move is expected to spark a fight to oust Johnson, who has a slim majority in the House, and some members are willing to bring down the house if they don’t get what they want.
Rep. Mike Lawler also expressed confidence that the House will take up a supplemental bill for Kyiv. Johnson recently spoke with Ukrainian President Zelensky to reaffirm his support for Ukraine in its battle against Russian invaders. Johnson had initially planned to address the Ukraine matter after completing the appropriations process for fiscal year 2024, but the delay in this process led to controversy within the House.
Firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had previously introduced a motion against Johnson as a “warning” but it did not require a vote. Greene has publicly threatened to oust Johnson if he brings up aid for Ukraine on the floor. With a narrow majority in the House, Johnson is facing limited options to prevent a mutiny. However, Bacon believes that Democrats will support Johnson in this instance to avoid dysfunction in the House, as it is in the national security interest for Ukraine to remain independent.
In the past, Rep. Matt Gaetz and other House Republicans successfully deposed then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy over a spending patch dispute. This time around, Gaetz has been cautious about removing Johnson, fearing it could benefit the Democrats. Some Democrats have indicated they would support Johnson if the mutiny is related to aid for Ukraine, as opposed to McCarthy, who had strained relations with House Democrats. President Biden had requested additional aid for Ukraine in August, but the House has been delaying action on this front.
The Senate recently passed a $95 billion supplemental package, including $60 billion for Ukraine. Bacon supports a smaller alternative package and is advocating for the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with more advanced weaponry. He anticipates that the aid for Ukraine will likely be in the form of military assistance rather than humanitarian support. Congress is set to return on April 9 to address these issues, with a potential showdown looming over the Ukraine aid bill and the future leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson.
