Progressive Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., expressed his willingness to back House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in the event that the lower chamber decides to vote on his removal from office. This comes after Johnson successfully facilitated the passage of foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Last Saturday, the House finally passed the long-awaited foreign aid bills. However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., along with other House Republicans, has voiced their intention to file a motion to vacate against the speaker. Their grievances stem from the speaker’s support of the aid bills and collaboration with Democrats on various matters.
In an interview on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday, Khanna acknowledged Johnson’s efforts in passing foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, giving him credit for his actions. Khanna expressed his support for tabling a motion to vacate, a parliamentary procedure that effectively halts legislation in Congress.
“I consider myself a progressive Democrat, and I believe there are several others within our party who share this sentiment,” Khanna stated. “Although I have differences with Speaker Johnson on various matters, I commend him for making the correct decision in this instance. He deserves to retain his position until the end of this term.”
Johnson might find himself depending on the Democrats to maintain his position if Greene and her backers manage to gather sufficient support from the GOP for their initiative.
Critics from the hard-right faction have voiced their disapproval of Johnson’s decision to separate border and immigration policy changes from the foreign aid bills. The passage of this legislation had been postponed for several months, as Johnson prioritized addressing the imminent threat of a government shutdown before allocating funds for foreign aid.
Johnson decided to divide the assistance bills into separate pieces, giving GOP representatives the freedom to select which bills they wanted to support. These bills included three allocations: $60.8 billion for Ukraine, $26.4 billion for Israel, and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, there was a fourth bill designed to potentially ban TikTok, a widely-used video-based social media app, across the entire nation.
The aid to Ukraine received bipartisan support and was passed by wide margins. However, it is noteworthy that a majority of Republicans, specifically 112, voted against providing aid to Ukraine.
During an interview with ABC on Sunday, Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas, praised Speaker Johnson’s decision, referring to him as a “profile in courage.”
Representative McCaul expressed his admiration for Speaker Mike Johnson’s personal growth and transformation. He commended Johnson for his willingness to prioritize the interests of the nation over his own, describing it as a true act of courage. McCaul also stated his support for Johnson in case he faces any challenges in his position.
According to McCaul, the fact that Democrats are supporting the speaker indicates that the House is currently in a bipartisan era, despite its recent history of being largely divided.
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