Washington — Urgent calls for action echoed through the halls of Congress today as Iran launched a massive assault on Israel, intensifying the need for House Speaker Mike Johnson to schedule a vote on a crucial foreign aid package encompassing support for Ukraine and Taiwan.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Johnson for the delay in bringing a $95 billion aid package to the floor for a vote, despite its approval by the Senate back in February. The bill has remained stagnant in the House, with Republican divisions on Ukrainian aid causing further setbacks.
"The recent grave developments in the Middle East and Eastern Europe emphasize the immediate need for Congressional action," stated the New York Democrat in a letter to colleagues on Monday. "It is imperative that we swiftly consider the bipartisan national security legislation passed by the Senate."
Jeffries likened the current situation to a pivotal moment in history, stating, "This is a Churchill or Chamberlain moment," drawing parallels to the British prime ministers during World War II. Neville Chamberlain, who served as the British Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940, is famously remembered for his policy of appeasement that failed to prevent Adolf Hitler's aggression leading to the war.
House Democratic Whip Calls for Immediate Vote on Senate Bill
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts also called on Johnson to hold an immediate vote on the Senate bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, have also pushed for a House vote on the bill.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told Fox News on Sunday that the House would "try again this week" to pass wartime aid for Israel in response to Iran's drone-and-missile attack over the weekend that was in retaliation for a strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month. But it's unclear whether that will ultimately include aid for Ukraine and Taiwan.
"The details of that package are being put together now. We're looking at the options and all the supplemental issues," Johnson said.
For months, the speaker has faced pressure from defense hawks in both parties to pass the foreign aid legislation to deliver on the U.S. promise to continue to assist Ukraine in its war against Russia amid repeated warnings that Kyiv is running out of ammunition. Johnson has instead considered other ways of delivering the funding, including through a loan, but has yet to unveil a plan.
The attack on Israel has renewed urgency in getting the Senate bill over the finish line in the House, but it also threatens Johnson's leadership role as he faces pushback from the right wing of his party, who oppose sending any more aid to Ukraine. If Johnson tries to pass a standalone bill on Israel, he is likely to lose Democratic votes.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus warned Johnson against using the situation in Israel to pass Ukraine aid.
"The House Freedom Caucus stands unequivocally with Israel. Congress should provide aid to Israel," the group said in a statement. "Under no circumstances will the House Freedom Caucus abide using the emergency situation in Israel as a bogus justification to ram through Ukraine aid with no offset and no security for our own wide-open borders."
White House spokesman John Kirby said the White House opposes a standalone Israel bill.
