In a closed-door meeting with Republican lawmakers on Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) unveiled a plan to move foreign aid through the House of Representatives, addressing the pressing needs of Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan while navigating the divisions within the House GOP conference over conditions for providing overseas assistance.
Under Johnson's tentative plan, aid for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel would be considered as separate bills, with a fourth bill combining miscellaneous national security priorities, including the recently passed House bill paving the way for a TikTok ban and the REPO Act, a bipartisan measure to liquidate seized Russian assets and send the funds to Ukraine. Johnson indicated that he anticipates a vote on the bills by Friday, with the text expected early on Tuesday and the opportunity for members to offer amendments.
The decision to break apart the Senate's $95 billion bipartisan supplemental aid package was backed by a significant share of House Republicans, but it also appears to be a move aimed at appeasing fiscal hawks on Johnson's right flank who might have otherwise attempted to block the bills from reaching the floor. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) expressed support for the plan, stating, "I think it's a good plan. I don't know that I'll support every single subject bill, but this is the way the House should work."
However, some members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus remained skeptical, with Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.) and policy chair Chip Roy (R-Texas) expressing doubts about the inclusion of border security measures in the deal, despite their demands. Good also expressed dissatisfaction that the funding bills would not be offset by spending cuts elsewhere, as was the case with Johnson's original $14 billion stand-alone Israel aid bill that passed the House in November.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has threatened to oust Johnson over his handling of government spending and foreign aid, trashed the plan after the meeting, stating, "I just think it's the wrong direction to go. Our border is the No. 1 policy issue that voters care about all across the country."
Meanwhile, House Democrats were incensed at Johnson's plan but did not rule out saving it if necessary. Several Republican hardliners opposed to Ukraine aid and irked by the lack of border security language have not ruled out sabotaging a key procedural vote that typically passes along party lines. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) stated, "I have a hard time believing we're going to give something to Ukraine without doing our border."
Democrats predominantly reacted with irritation that Johnson is not simply holding a vote on the Senate bill. Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said, "We have delayed this now for months, because this party is so dysfunctional ... they're constantly trying to pander to every faction." However, several moderate and swing-district Democrats signaled their openness to voting for the rule through gritted teeth if necessary, with Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) stating, "This is one of the most critical votes that we'll take, so I'm very open to whatever it takes to get this done."
The fate of several elements of the Senate's foreign aid package, including humanitarian aid for Palestinians and refugees in countries across the world, remains unclear. Some Democrats said their votes would likely depend on the inclusion of humanitarian aid in the bill, with Hoyer warning that excising that funding would be "irresponsible" and "inimical to the interests of the United States."
