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A third Republican has co-sponsored a movement to boot Mike Johnson from the speakership. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., announced his support for a motion to vacate Johnson on Friday, citing outrage over Johnson putting money for Ukraine’s ‘purposeless’ fight against Russia on the House floor without border security measures attached. ‘ Congress cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the consequence of Biden’s disastrous open border policies, nor can it idly wait for Biden to halt this invasion through executive fiat,’ Gosar said. ‘Congress has the responsibility to solve this crisis.’
Johnson long said he would not back money to bolster Ukraine’s border before the U.S.’s. On Saturday he will put a $95 billion foreign aid package with $60 billion for Ukraine on the House floor. In recent days the speaker has suggested that power to secure the border largely falls to President Biden. A border bill will come to the floor separately, but only the foreign aid package is likely to make it through the Democrat-led Senate.
Some conservative hardliners had wanted the border provisions attached to Ukraine aid, to make Democrats choose between supporting Ukraine and opposing border restrictions. ‘Under the direction of the Speaker, is on the verge of sending another $61 billion to further draw America into an endless and purposeless war in Ukraine,’ Gosar went on. ‘I have added my name in support of the motion to vacate the Speaker. Our border cannot be an afterthought. We need a Speaker who puts America first rather than bending to the reckless demands of the warmongers, neo-cons and the military industrial complex making billions from a costly and endless war half a world away.’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., launched a motion to vacate last month and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., co-signed the effort over frustrations with the foreign aid plan. Other right-wing members have flirted with the idea. Greene could make the motion ‘privileged’ at any moment, which would force a floor vote on Johnson’s ousting within two legislative days.
On Friday Johnson was spared at least another day: Greene did not call up her motion and stormed out to her vehicle after the rule vote, refusing to discuss the speaker’s ousting with reporters. Massie insisted to reporters that others were waiting in the wings to join on to their resolution. ‘There’s a fourth and a fifth who are waiting as well.’ He suggested the motion would not come up immediately, deeming it more of a ‘call to resign.’
Massie called to mind former Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., introducing a motion to vacate before an August recess, giving people time to ‘think about it’ and sign on to the motion. Ultimately Boehner resigned after growing pressure. Democrats offered Johnson rare praise for what they deemed ‘doing the right thing’ and bringing the aid bills to the floor, despite what it could do to his career. ‘I don’t agree with the speaker on anything politically, but I also think he’s got integrity,’ Himes told DailyMail.com after the rule vote. ‘I think that he’s sort of stepped up to be a leader.’
Rank-and-file Republicans have increasingly grown tired of their rabble-rousing colleagues’ antics. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., called the members who oppose rules ‘cancer’ to his party, name-checking Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Bob Good, R-Va., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., in comments to reporters. On Wednesday Van Orden called Gaetz ‘tubby’ and Gaetz called him a ‘squish’ and said he was ‘too stupid’ to tie his own shoes.
A final vote on four bills with money for Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific is scheduled for Saturday, after which they will be sent to the Senate. The package in total would offer $26 billion to Israel, $60 billion to Ukraine and $8 billion to the Indo-Pacific, a combination of military and humanitarian aid. It is made up of four separate bills, including one for each region.
The Israel security bill will offer $4 billion to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense system and billions more for weapons systems, artillery and munitions, as well as an additional $2.4 billion for U.S. operations in the region. Nine billion dollars in that bill goes to humanitarian relief for Palestinians in Gaza. The Ukraine bill includes $23 billion for replenishing U.S. stockpiles that have been depleted for the fight in Russia. Some $11 billion would go to U.S. military operations in the region and $14 billion would go to procuring advanced weapons systems. Another $26 million would go to oversight and accountability of equipment given to Ukraine.
Two separate economic assistance funds worth $7.85 billion and $1.58 billion would also be offered to Ukraine under a loan structure. The president has wide authority over the terms of the loan, and could forgive half of it after November 15, 2024 and half after January 1, 2026. A fourth bill includes several measures such as requiring TikTok divest from its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance, an effort to obtain seized Russian assets and a lend-lease program for military aid to Ukraine.
The fourth bill includes a provision involving the REPO Act, meaning it would seize Russian assets that until now have only been frozen, and one that would involve the Lend-Lease Act, which would require Ukraine to give back U.S. military assets that are not destroyed in war. Johnson noted much of the bill is not going directly to any country but is going to backfill U.S. stockpiles that have been depleted for Ukraine and Israel. The U.S. was heavily involved in defending Israel against Iran’s 300 missile strikes over the weekend.
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