Aid for Israel became more urgent after the weekend’s attack, House Speaker Mike Johnson said. After months of delays, he is also putting forward a bill that provide additional aid to Ukraine.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced a path forward on aid to Ukraine and Israel after months of delay because of GOP divisions. Iran’s unprecedent attack on Israel over the weekend increased pressure on Congress to act.
Johnson plans to bring forward three separate bills on funding for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. A fourth national security bill would likely include a provision that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the U.S.
Lawmakers say there’s renewed urgency in passing the aid to Israel after Saturday’s attack.
“My phone melted over the weekend, you know, with all the members letting me know all their ideas,” Johnson told reporters after the closed-door meeting with his members Monday evening. “It really was the will of my colleagues to vote on these measures independently and not have them all sandwiched together, as the Senate had done.”
Top congressional Democrats, President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had called on the House to swiftly vote on the Senate-passed $95 billion foreign aid package that combines aid for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine.
