Speaker Mike Johnson proposes 4 standalone foreign aid bills. But his plan faces challenges

Days after Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend, House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a plan to fund foreign aid. He told reporters following his meeting with the Republican Conference that he hopes to pass three standalone bills for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

A fourth bill will include a varying list of GOP priorities like the Lend-Lease Act and the REPO Act — authorizing the seizure of frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine’s needs — sanctions against Iran, and a House-passed TikTok ban.

“What we’ll do is bring to the House floor independent measures, we won’t be voting on the senate supplemental in its current form, but we will vote on each of these measures separately in four different pieces,” Johnson, R-La., said.

“We will vote on the Israel aid, on the aid to Ukraine, on the aid to the Indo-Pacific, and then another measure that has our national security priorities included.”

Rep. Burgess Owens in a statement to the Deseret News said, “Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel is a stark reminder of the consequences of President Biden’s weakness on the world stage.”

“This week, House Republicans will take action, passing several bills in support of Israel and ensuring that Iran faces consequences for its hostile and escalatory actions. Now is not the time for our adversaries to question American commitment to our ally and friend, Israel.”

As Punchbowl reported, some conservative members are trying to attack HR2, a series of stringent border security measures, to the fourth piece of legislation.

Johnson indicated the Republican Conference is still discussing whether the Senate will receive a merged version or four separate bills. Although the text of the legislation has yet to be released, the House is expected to vote on Friday.

Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, “Unprecedented times demand steady leadership.”

She supported the speaker’s “plan to let members vote their districts when it comes to supporting our allies. And I’ll always prioritize the safety and needs of the nation and Utahns back home.”

Plus, splitting the bills creates other issues. “I’m very concerned about Ukraine aid, and I don’t have confidence in the speaker’s ability to get that through,” Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., told the Washington Examiner. “And so I’m concerned that cleaving it off is going to mean that the Ukraine aid won’t pass.”

The speaker’s future as the leader is also uncertain. His every move has been under scrutiny after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., threatened to take his gavel away, but Johnson said he wasn’t concerned.

“I don’t spend my time worrying about motions to vacate,” Johnson said, adding he doesn’t know how it will shake out. Meanwhile, Greene told CNN she predicts she’s more Republicans will join her in ousting Johnson if he prioritizes Ukraine.

If Democrats back her motion to vacate, she would need only one GOP representative to remove Johnson. According to Axios, after the GOP meeting Tuesday morning, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called on Johnson to resign, signaling the possibility that he would help Greene.

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Tuesday, “The president does not want to see a war with Iran,” while relaying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded President Joe Biden’s “commendable effort to successfully knock down the vast, vast majority” Iran’s attacks.

In response to Johnson’s plan for four standalone bills, Kirby said the White House isn’t willing to support standalone bills that only support Israel, and not Ukraine, but is waiting for more details on the speaker’s proposal. Kirby stressed the urgency to move on this foreign aid package this week. Democratic leadership in the House and Senate hasn’t weighed in on the latest proposal either.

As Roll Call reported, the slim majority forces House Republicans to depend on the other side of the aisle for a helping hand, but this is contingent on whether the package will include any “poison pill” measures like HR2.

Johnson’s latest plan is more complex than the White House and Senate-passed $95 billion package, which House Republicans stymied because it didn’t include stricter border security measures.