Speaker Mike Johnson received praise on Sunday from both a prominent Republican and a progressive Democrat for his decision to permit votes on a $95 billion foreign aid package. This move demonstrates his ability to maintain his position as the leader of the House, even if conservative hard-liners follow through on their threat to initiate a vote for his removal.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, expressed his admiration for Speaker Mike Johnson, highlighting his transformation and courage. McCaul commended Johnson for prioritizing the nation’s interests above personal gain, stating, “At the end of the day, a profile in courage is putting the nation above yourself — and that’s what he did.” He further praised Johnson for his unwavering commitment to being on the right side of history, regardless of the potential consequences to his career. McCaul’s admiration for Johnson’s principled stance was evident, emphasizing the speaker’s commendable actions.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who hails from California, shared the same sentiment.
During a separate interview on “This Week,” Khanna expressed his disagreement with Speaker Johnson on various issues and acknowledged that he has been highly critical of him. However, Khanna also commended Johnson for taking the right course of action in this particular instance and believes that he should retain his position until the end of his term.
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has been one of Johnson’s most vocal critics within their party, has put forth a proposal to vacate the speakership. Her motion is in response to Johnson’s support for foreign aid bills, specifically the allocation of $60.8 billion to assist Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s invasion. However, Greene has not taken any concrete steps to act on her proposal at this time.
Over the weekend, a greater number of Republicans, including House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, opposed the Ukraine aid bill rather than supporting it.
Greene can remove Johnson from his position if she can persuade just one more Republican to join her, similar to what happened to Kevin McCarthy last year. However, Khanna believes that even without any additional concessions, enough Democrats will side with Johnson.
Karl pressed the Democrats, asking if they would seek anything in return for protecting him at this moment.
“I’ll let Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries handle the negotiations, but I believe that not everything in politics should be focused on transactions,” expressed Khanna. “In this case, Speaker Johnson demonstrated courage by not only allowing a vote but also separating the bills. This allowed individuals to vote based on their conscience regarding Taiwan, offensive aid to Israel, and Ukraine. I commend him for this approach.”
The House made a significant turnaround in its votes on Saturday, as it advanced four foreign aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other Indo-Pacific allies. This decision came as a surprise for Republican leaders like Johnson, who had previously insisted that any additional funds for Ukraine should be contingent upon stricter U.S. border and immigration laws.
Despite attempts to find a middle ground, conservatives remained unconvinced and unwilling to compromise on this matter. Even a well-publicized agreement in the Senate aimed at reforming border policy was swiftly dismissed by Johnson and other critics, who deemed it inadequate following opposition from former President Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, Johnson expressed his support for individual votes on providing additional aid to Ukraine and Israel, which is currently engaged in a conflict with Hamas.
Last week, Johnson expressed his preference for sending bullets to Ukraine instead of putting American boys in harm’s way. He even invoked his own son, who is currently attending the Naval Academy, to emphasize his stance.
During the interview on “This Week,” McCaul faced tough questions from Karl regarding Johnson’s shifting perspectives and the significant amount of time it took for the legislative process to reach a point where Congress supported a similar level of aid as initially proposed by the White House last year.
According to McCaul, Johnson initially aligned with the stance of hard-line Republicans. However, he realized that with a divided government, a different approach needed to be taken.
According to McCaul, the former president attempted to fulfill the demands of the Freedom Caucus, but it was clear that this approach would not be successful in either the Senate or the White House. McCaul expressed concern that time was running out and that Ukraine was on the verge of collapse.
McCaul said that his thinking had been influenced by Johnson’s classified briefings and hearing from Republican leaders on the issue, such as House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner.
Johnson, a relatively unknown legislator, was suddenly thrust into the role of speaker after a tumultuous power struggle within the GOP’s House conference. He had to quickly adapt and learn the ropes on the job.
According to McCaul, he transformed from a district representative in Louisiana to the speaker of the United States, assuming the responsibility of considering global matters and making crucial decisions.
Mike Johnson’s stock has skyrocketed due to his actions, earning him immense respect. Regardless of his position, he made the right decision, which has garnered him a great deal of admiration. This respect extends even to the Democrats, showcasing the impact of his actions.
Johnson has had to rely on the votes of the Democratic minority multiple times to advance crucial legislation, including government funding, in addition to the recently approved foreign aid bills.
The reason for this is that Republicans currently have a slim majority, with only a few votes, and they have struggled to find common ground on several legislative proposals.
In response to a question on “This Week” about the current dynamics in the House and whether it resembles a coalition government, McCaul humorously remarked, “I don’t know, perhaps some people are enjoying that.”
Lawmakers like Greene were criticized for issuing ultimatums against Johnson.
Representative McCaul expressed concern about the abuse of a particular legislative tool in Congress. He emphasized the need to address this issue, as it is being misused by a minority group who do not have the support of the majority in his conference.
According to him, Republican colleagues like Greene, who criticize additional aid for Ukraine as a waste when there are pressing domestic issues, have embraced the idea that it’s a choice between one or the other. However, he argues that it is possible to support Ukraine and address border security simultaneously. He emphasizes that as a great nation, the United States is capable of tackling multiple challenges at once.
“Our adversaries, the eyes of the world, and history itself are all watching,” he emphasized. “I continuously stressed this to my colleagues.”
During a separate interview, Rep. Khanna further elaborated on his stance regarding the allocation of additional funds for Israel in its fight against Hamas in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas’ terror attack on October 7th.
Khanna, along with 36 other Democrats, voted against the individual aid bill for Israel. However, he made it clear that his objection was directed towards offensive funds, not defensive funds. In his view, Israel should have the means to protect itself.
“It was a difficult decision. I mean, let’s be real, this was a rejection of giving [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu a free pass to acquire offensive weapons without any conditions, especially when he’s talking about entering Rafah … knowing that more innocent women and children will lose their lives,” Khanna expressed, echoing the growing criticism that Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza have resulted in an alarming number of civilian casualties. (Israel maintains that it takes measures to safeguard civilians.)”
“We are determined to emphasize the need for a shift in strategy to end the famine and suffering in Gaza,” Khanna expressed passionately. He further questioned, “So why are we unconditionally supporting Netanyahu, while the rest of the world is calling for a new strategy, the release of hostages believed to be held by Hamas, and the pursuit of peace?”
Karl questioned Khanna about his vote against funding for Israel following Iran’s recent direct strikes on the country. This event signifies a new chapter in the ongoing shadow war between the two nations. In response, Khanna clarified that he would have supported funding specifically for defense-related purposes.
He said that the objective should be to put an end to the conflict by forming alliances in the region.
He emphasized the importance of establishing a security cooperation effort and a diplomatic architecture in the Middle East, involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, in order to achieve lasting peace.
Khanna expressed doubts about the legislative efforts to compel TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell the platform or risk a ban in the United States. TikTok has dismissed the concerns regarding data security and foreign influence as unfounded.
“I believe that it will not withstand First Amendment scrutiny because I think there are other options that are less restrictive. In my opinion, it is unlikely to survive scrutiny in the Supreme Court,” Khanna confidently predicted.