Mike Johnson Expects Stand-Alone Foreign Aid Bill

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) shared new details of his plans to take up Ukraine aid, including his expectation to pass it with Democratic votes, Politico reports.

“The Louisiana Republican said in a Thursday interview at the House GOP retreat that taking up aid to Ukraine and Israel is ‘very much a priority,’ stopping short of full commitment to a House vote on the long-stalled assistance. But he made clear that once the aid does come up, it would be a ‘stand-alone’ bill that’s not attached to a must-pass vehicle like government funding legislation.”

“Johnson also said he expects that foreign aid would come up on the House’s suspensions calendar, which requires a two-thirds majority to pass any bills — in other words, he’ll be relying on Democratic votes to pass the bill, as he has with most measures given his thin majority.”