House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that the House will be voting this week on aid for Israel in response to Iran’s recent attack. He also hinted that funds for Ukraine could be included in the aid package.
In an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, Johnson emphasized the importance of standing with Israel and mentioned that the details of the aid package are currently being finalized. This comes after a failed attempt to pass a standalone $17.6 billion aid package for Israel in February.
Johnson has been working on an alternative to the Senate-approved $95 billion package, which includes funds for Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific region. The urgency to pass this aid package has increased following Iran’s attack on Israel.
Former President Donald Trump has expressed support for providing Ukraine with loans instead of grants and using Russian assets to fund new aid, which could potentially be part of the package.
Despite facing pressure from Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene to prioritize restrictions on migration across the US-Mexico border, Johnson has received backing from Trump and is focused on securing the border through executive action.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged Johnson to pass the Ukraine-Israel aid package approved in the Senate, emphasizing the importance of investing in American strength to deter conflict.
Overall, there is growing support for providing aid to Ukraine, with House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner expecting overwhelming support for the measure in the House this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski have both called on Congress to strengthen America’s allies during this critical time.