The Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the lower house of the US Congress, Republican Mike Johnson, a staunch supporter of Trump, is the man who managed to push the vote on US aid to Ukraine to success.
He showed political courage that is rare in Washington and remarkable legislative skills for an inexperienced leader by pushing a long-delayed $60 billion aid bill for Ukraine through the House of Representatives on Saturday, CNN said in a commentary where
Johnson has been described as the “unlikely Churchill”,
after days before the media described his role in aid to Ukraine as the moment of “Chamberlain or Churchill” – the two British prime ministers, during the Second World War.
Churchill took the post of Chamberlain with his firm position that Hitler’s Germany must be met with firm resistance.
Johnson’s contribution to pushing American aid was that he put to a separate vote the funds for Ukraine, from the general package that also included Israel and Taiwan.
By his actions, Johnson put his office in jeopardy by advocating for Ukraine. The support for the bill he has shown is a sign of political evolution, a rare meeting for the Capitol, CNN’s commentary also stated.
The US Congress approved $61 billion in aid to Ukraine
Johnson’s passage of the bill in the House of Representatives, after months of bitter infighting that divided the Republican Party, saw him side with Ronald Reagan’s weakened internationalist wing of his party while turning his back on the America of first place’, which was his first political home.
Johnson argued that without the United States continuing its lifeline of arms and ammunition to Ukraine, Russia could achieve a victory that would cause it to continue its victorious march further into Europe, plunging the US into another world war.
He said inaction would strengthen the totalitarian axis between Russia, Iran and China.
Classified U.S. intelligence reports likely played a crucial role in his position — another factor likely to anger Republicans who view the intelligence community as a “deep state” that is targeting former President Donald Trump.
Moscow announced the capture of the village of Bogdanovka and said the US would suffer a Vietnam-like “fiasco”.
But Johnson argued that the international situation was so serious that the House had no choice but to make such a decision. He warned that Russia, China and Iran are “a global threat to our prosperity and our security. Their advance threatens the free world and requires American leadership. (If) we turn our backs right now, the consequences could be devastating.”
It was Johnson’s change of heart regarding support for Ukraine – from reticence to active support – that proved to be the decisive factor in the approval of the foreign aid package, writes the BBC.
Johnson is highly trusted by Donald Trump, who just a week ago spoke out against more support for Ukraine.
The US Pentagon spokesman said on Thursday that US military air defense systems and artillery units could be moved to Ukraine within days of final approval.
President Joe Biden has called the war in Ukraine a world-defining conflict that the United States cannot afford to ignore.
“Today, members of both parties in the House of Representatives voted to advance our national security interests and send a clear message about the strength of American leadership on the world stage,” he said.
The president is expected to sign the law later next week.
Still, Johnson may pay a political price for Saturday’s vote. He relied heavily on Democratic support not only for the final votes, but also for removing the procedural hurdles leading up to those votes.
His decision to turn to Democrats was prompted by strong opposition among a handful of Republicans, some in key positions of power in the House of Representatives.
Why do Americans prefer Israel to Ukraine?
representatives who opposed any new aid to Ukraine.
Now those republicans may force a vote on whether to oust Mr Johnson as chairman, the BBC predicts.
Speaking to the media after the bill passed, Johnson defended his actions and said he doesn’t walk the halls of Congress worried about his job.
“I did what I believed was right here,” he said.
Although no action was taken Saturday to remove him, three Republicans have already spoken out, saying others will join them in the coming days.
Polls show that many Republican voters are unhappy with additional aid to Ukraine, although Democrats and independents support American aid to the war effort.
If it does come to a vote to remove Johnson, some Democrats have expressed a willingness to support it.
For now, however, Mr Johnson can enjoy his hard-fought victory. His strategy of splitting the aid package into separate components for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan proved successful and this plan worked.
In his remarks after the vote, he said the legislation was not perfect and that it was not a “blank check” — a reflection that recent months have shown to have clear and growing limits on US support.
He said the new aid must be monitored to ensure it is spent wisely and that Ukraine must find an “ultimate strategy” for the war.
For a lawmaker who has languished in relative obscurity, this is a historic achievement. But the coming weeks will determine whether this will also be his political epitaph.
More up-to-date analysis – read here
Tags: Trump supporter pushed aid Ukraine won enemies compared Churchill
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