Democrats are hoping to corner House Speaker Mike Johnson, who opposes approval of a bipartisan bill to fund aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
How the Democrats plan to pass a draft law on aid to Ukraine
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, refused to support the bill passed by the Senate to finance additional aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
At the same time, Johnson insists that representatives of the Republican Party develop their own version of the bill.
In a statement late Monday, Johnson rejected the Senate's $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan because it did not include provisions to strengthen border security.
Absent any changes in border policy from the Senate, the House will have to continue to act on its own on these important issues, Johnson said.
It is noted that representatives of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives seek to offer their own version of solving national security issues along with strengthening measures on the border with Mexico.
At the same time, Johnson is being pressured by representatives of the conservative wing of the Republican Party, who oppose aid to Ukraine.
At the same time, if Johnson puts the project with aid to Ukraine to a vote, some Republicans threaten to dismiss him from office.
Meanwhile, Democrats hope they can "back Johnson into a corner" by pushing a procedural maneuver known as a motion to dismiss that would allow them to hold a vote on the Senate-passed bill, the newspaper said.
Crucially, Democrats need a majority of the House of Representatives to sign off on the deal, including some Republicans in the House.
The publication adds that it is still unclear whether they will receive such support.
Biden turned to Johnson
US President Joe Biden, in an emergency address on February 13, called on the speaker of the House of Representatives to immediately vote on the draft law on financing aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
There is no doubt that if the Senate bill had been brought before the House of Representatives, it would have passed. And the speaker knows it. Therefore, I call on the speaker to allow the full House of Representatives to express their opinion and not allow the minority of the most extreme voices in the House to block this bill from even being voted on, - the US President emphasized.
Biden later recalled that most of the funds pledged to support Ukraine in the package will be directed to the American defense industry and will allow the creation of new jobs.
