Foreign aid for Ukraine and Israel passes the House
Republicans are more split on aid to Ukraine, while Democrats are more split on aid to Israel. That means, however, that aid to both countries is supported by the majority of Congress through the mechanism of bipartisanship. That’s the way Congress used to function, to the best of my recollection:
The House Rules Committee voted 9-3 to advance the package, with Democratic support being a rare occurrence for Republican bills.
Republican Reps. Chip Roy, Thomas Massie, and Ralph Norman voted against the rule, expressing frustration that aid to Ukraine was not paired with conservative border security provisions.
But that pairing would have meant that it didn’t pass, because it would have lost Democrat support, and it needed Democrat support to pass at all.
Various parts of the package are expected to pass with bipartisan coalitions this weekend.
And that’s what happened:
Speaker Mike Johnson risked his political career to shepherd through over $60 billion in Ukrainian aid on the House floor on Saturday as part of a $95 billion aid package for U.S. allies.
The package in total gives $26 billion to Israel, $60.8 billion to Ukraine and $8 billion to the Indo-Pacific through a combination of military and humanitarian aid.
The package consisting of three separate aid bills was voted on alongside a fourth ‘side car’ that includes a potential TikTok ban and a vehicle to repurpose seized Russian assets for Ukraine.
The bill providing cash for Kyiv – by far the most contentious of the day and the one Johnson could lost his job over – passed 311 to 112.
‘We would rather send bullets to the conflict overseas than our own boys, our troops,’ Johnson insisted after the vote.
The Israel aid bill passed 366 to 58, with opposition largely consisting of progressives who wanted the aid conditioned on a ceasefire.
Many Republicans wanted it paired with border security; I would have strongly preferred that myself. However, you can’t always get what you want:
House Speaker Mike Johnson had previously pushed to pair aid to Ukraine with border security provisions. However, his efforts were met with resistance, leading to several rules failing on the floor, largely due to objections from the right flank of the party. Despite calls from several members of the Republican conference to raise the threshold to bring a motion to oust the speaker, Johnson announced that the House “will continue to govern under the existing rules.”
Those who are against aid to either country (Republicans who oppose Ukraine aid; Democrats who oppose Israel aid) are angry. People want what they want. The reality is the razor-thin Republican House majority and the razor-thin Democrat Senate majority, and the division within Republican and Democrat ranks. The Republicans who oppose what happened can get rid of their Speakers over and over, but that won’t get them what they want either, because the reality of the situation blocks it.
And then there are the people who would be happy with aiding neither Ukraine nor Israel. That’s a much smaller group – nearly entirely in the GOP, as far as I can tell – and it’s not going to get what it wants either, because a bipartisan majority wants something quite different.
NOtE: The Byzantine machinations of Congress are hard to follow, and very few people do so. I can’t say I’ve followed every single back and forth, either.
Hats off to Speaker Johnson. I thought he did a great job considering what he was working with.
Democrats have a huge lead on their inhumane treatment of America’s children, and they didn’t get there without Republican apathy (at best). Same with the border issue. Same with the antisemitic issue – etcetera etcetera etcetera. Democrats made goals, and achieved them over some decades now.
Republicans had plenty of REP Presidents & REP control over House & Senate since at least Reagan, but for whatever reason/s, America is at this obnoxious point in our history.
Hopefully, and Ditto on the Hats off to Speaker Johnson, some of the rumors that a lot of Democrats are tired of progressive control over the Democratic party, and that that gets reflected in November’s elections.
At this point, barring Civil and/or WW, it seems that only the Democratic party can correct itself…
Karmi:
Actually, Republican control hasn’t happened that often, and when it has it has mostly been on a similar knife-edge. Please read this.
I’ve loved 100% MAGA Anna Paulina Luna from day one. She continues to impress.
“Put those damn flags away.”
I’m sure the bill will not have any restrictions on the netanyahu government defending itself, more funding for the Gosplan enabler of Hamas propaganda, OCHA naw that couldn’t possibly happen,
the Hamas caucus were the crew that help Pelosi in power, and the Dems did everything to cater to those four votes, no matter how much blood and misery
they wrought on our streets, but sure lets pretend they are not up to ‘dark deeds’ as Obama said of Reagan,
just a cursery inspection,
https://twitter.com/Oilfield_Rando/status/1781793887838707916
lets give the people who want to trans our military, and drain our entire arsenal more power and influence,
we can’t seem to do anything to stop destroying this country, rewarding others who have apparently blackmailed a good portion of the entire political establishment,
the people who look you in the eye, and tell you the sniper that could have gotten the Abbey gate bomber was wrong, that ken penzance mckenzie,
Neo: Yeah, you’re right, and I should’ve said since Clinton instead of Reagan.
I didn’t start voting until after the 911 attacks – GW Bush’s midterms 2002, so I have only followed since then.
Like you said GW Bush w/ REP control of 108 & 109 Congresses.
I believe Clinton had REPs in control during his 104, 105, and 106 Congress. Obama had REP control of the 114 Congress.
Trump had REP control of the 115 Congress.
Since 1/20/1993 – 5 Presidents (3 DEM & 2 REP). REPs have controlled 7 Congresses & DEMs about 8 Congresses (??).
GW Bush & Trump didn’t slow the DEMs down much—if at all, even w/ control of 3 Congresses. It still looks like – barring Civil and/or WW, it seems that only the Democratic party can correct itself, and their voters changing the nations course. Sad to say…
Paulina, those flags aren’t damned, you lost a vote.
sure they israels interests at heart
https://twitter.com/wajacobson/status/1781796554459758659
smithers is sanctioning the idf, particularly the haredi personnel for reasons, while we give more money to the IRGC, those sanctions they puffed up, are tertiary if that
yes give them more money, it’s not like they will misuse it,
https://twitter.com/JamesHasson20/status/1781804846376505527
On on blog I read everyday by some Law Prof, there are a number of commentors that do not like Speaker Johnson because he “gave in” to the Dems. The Rep that want Border Security (which I do) are against aid to Ukraine until that happens. They forget that Biden could enforce border security tomorrow without more money.
They are also Isolationist.
There’s more division in the Republican ranks than in the Democrat ranks. No House Democrat voted to impeach Mayorkas. No Senate Democrat voted to put Mayorkas on trial. So effectively, Johnson is Speaker only in name only, especially now that Republicans have only a one vote margin in the House.
I remember what they want to do and nothing gets in their way no matter how many lives get in their way
I just saw the photos of all the Ukrainian flags on the House floor. It’s in poor taste. It prompts the question, what about the US? Don’t they care about America and our own border?
ee cervantes:
Yep those Ukrainians are going to use drones to drop bricks on the Russians.
Bricks that are wrapped with Benjamins.
Crafting the narrative?
The walking and chewing gums crowd emerges.
The Democrats don’t care about our border. They don’t care about Israel or Taiwan. They only support Ukraine because it is expedient and wrongly think President Trump is tied to Putin. Isolationist Republicans don’t care that Putin is an aggressive expansionist aligned with Iran, China, and North Korea. They are willing to enable Putin’s aggression for the short term damage it does to FJBrandon. Putin will still be an expansionist aggressive threat to the West (which includes the USA) long after the Brandon junta is gone and after FJ Brandon meets his maker.
Not rocket science.
What exactly is Ukraine doing with the billions and billions and billions of dollars we’re showering them with?
And some may be mad at Johnson, but how can one stay mad at a man with such impeccably manicured hair, hmmm? And exactly how much ‘product’ does he use?
They laughed all the way to the bank schumer schiff et al and you give them an out for their hamas apologist
They are paying off hunters next gig like the pla middlemen
Erasmus, most of the “money” is in military equipment. Not say no money, but not the bulk.
Erasmus:
Here is a clue, Vlad isn’t visiting the liberated cities of Kiev, Kherson, Kharkhiv, Odessa. Until about 2 months ago Russia was not having such success destroying Ukrainian power plants (those Patriot missiles and other defense systems). Ukraine, until they began to run out of arty and SAMs were more successful keeping Ruskies from gaining ground.
All those things require ordnance.
You probably know this and are not happy that ordnance supplied to Ukraine helped keep Vlad at bay. It takes all kinds.
Many Republicans wanted it paired with border security; I would have strongly preferred that myself. However, you can’t always get what you want…
…but what do you do when you can’t get what you need? Aid to Ukraine or Israel are wants. Isn’t border security a need?
Jack_of_Spades:
Isn’t border security a need?
For any sane country with legitimate leadership, yes. Need we say more?
I’ve rarely if ever seen a worse and more simplistic ‘debate’ than the arguments in the US over aid to Ukraine. There are big quality problems with the level of argumentation…on both sides. Discussed at my new post: Ukraine, and the World Outside US Borders:
https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/70648.html
Another 100 billion dollars down a rat hole for the most part.
Any position by House Speaker Johnson that doesn’t start and end with “fund the border first before all else” is craven surrender.
Gerry Connolly (D-VA): ‘Ukrainian-Russian Border Is Our Border’
Ghost of Johnny Carson: “I did not know that!”
*writes note to self*
The sad trombone orchestra only knows one note.
Ah, the usual suspects, like Geoffrey ‘Haw Haw’ Britain, willing to use blackmail with Ukrainian lives on the democrats to get ‘border security’. Good luck with that but then it’s nothing but a pretext (*). For some reason a large part of ‘republicans’ have gone quisling without the honesty.
(*) To remind those who have political Alzheimer, in 2017 & 2018 republicans had the House, the Senate and the Presidency. So what did they do with border security? They botched it.
…’n bob [sykes]’s yer uncle…
+ Bonus
Look upwards: it’s not a bird, not a plane and certainly not Superman… But watch the pigs perform their figure-eights…
“In whiplash twist, Michael Avenatti considers testifying for Trump, calls trial ‘travesty’;
“From his prison cell, convicted Stormy Daniels’ lawyer blasts NY prosecutors in marked shift in tone.”—
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/all-things-trump/sunin-whiplash-twist-michael-avenatti-discussing-testifying-trump
(Watch out! They’re far worse than pigeons…
Worse than crows, which are pretty awful. Bats, too… Probably should wear a hat at all times…)
The last time Republicans briefly had the House, Senate, and Presidency, the Congressional bodies were run by people who were very antagonistic to Trump and refused to work with him other than the tax cuts. Next time around, Congressional leaders know, or they’d better know, that they have to work with Trump, and the change in leadership means they’ll be more likely to do so.
I hope.
om:
The Ukraine has no path to victory over the Russians. The Russians are not going to scurry back home. One would hope that NATO doesn’t engage in (or stumble into) a European war over Ukraine.
Ukraine can probably get a negotiated end to the war with a loss of some territory. That would seem preferable than bleeding out generation after generation of their men into churned up soil.
It’s not about “Vlad”, it’s about wasted human life and reducing the threat of a wider and vastly more destructive war.
It’s not about the Kaiser or that Corporal, Europe can never prevail … or about Uncle Joe or Uncle Ho. Because I am a moral person more concerned with life than those bloodthirsty bastards who are going to kill everyone on Earth by fomenting resistance to the inevitable.
We are blessed to be subjects of the monarchy, Divine Right of Kings you know.
Isolationists rule.
I love listening to and watching Russia screaming in anger/pain/fear – and whining about how ‘even more Ukrainians’ are going to die because other countries are sending them aid. Russia’s sufferings become even more obvious & louder when America increases the aid to Ukraine. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom and their lives. Plenty have died, but Ukrainians have killed a lot more Russians over these 2+ years: 457,830 dead Russian troops, and some 1,373,490 more wounded—and who knows how many of those Russians are now crippled for life.
When the Ukrainians have the right weapons & ammo, the deaths they inflict upon Russian troops being sent on waves of ‘Meat Assaults’ are staggering. That pic shows Russia’s deaths in some 10 years of fighting in Afghanistan compared to their deaths in Ukraine from Feb 2022 until Dec 2023.
Imagine being a Russian soldier—being sent on another ‘Meat Assault’ where the Ukrainians have been freshly supplied w/ weapons & ammo, and the Russian Barrier troops are gathering behind you again. Russia is famous for using Barrier troops. I never understood why those Russian soldiers never seemed to turn their weapons onto the Barrier troops?!
Russia Issues Furious Warning After Ukraine Aid Bill
“We would rather send bullets to the conflict overseas than our own boys, our troops”
Sure, that’s reasonable, at least in principle.
Some are saying you shouldn’t approve aid to any country unless you’re willing to go over there and fight yourself. That’s ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with standing with your allies. Why on earth should lending support mean you have to send boots on the ground? It doesn’t automatically follow, at least not to me.
Kate:
The Republicans are like the Bourbons. You know the quote . . .
Hence, even if they have majorities in both houses, and the presidency, they will . . . well, you know.
om, what’s your judgment on how the war in Ukraine will go this year, and next year? What’s your recommended strategy? Are the Crimea and eastern Ukraine recoverable to Ukraine in the foreseeable future? Conversely, is the damage to Russian personnel and equipment not severe enough to prevent its intended expansion beyond Ukraine in the next few years?
I supported this funding bill, and have supported stopping the Russian juggernaut in Ukraine from the get-go. At this point, common-sense questions and discussion about where this goes from here should not draw the knee-jerk “Isolationist” sneers, in my opinion. Your mileage varies.
IrishOtter49: Have you got a better idea, other than pushing Republicans to act like they believe their rhetoric? The Old Guard is passing away.
Karmi is right about the Ukraine war.
Helping Ukraine is worth the costs and the risks. It is also morally correct to do so.
Ukraine wins by fighting the Russians to a draw. Russia loses by being fought to a draw. And fighting the Russians to a draw is certainly within Ukraine’s capabilities — given the continue of aid to Ukraine.
Yes, this entails bloody attrition, and tremendous costs to Western powers who help Ukraine. So be it.
And so be it if it results in WW3.
Remember your fierce valor, O Achaeans.
Have you got a better idea, other than pushing Republicans to act like they believe their rhetoric? The Old Guard is passing away.
No, I must confess, I have no better ideas. I’m merely observing.
@phild
Illegal immigration was low in the Trump years, and the wall was being built, however slowly. In comparison to what we have now, that does count as border security — or at least as doing something about border security — for me.
But Biden and Mayorkas and sanctuary cities and states around the country have made clear that they don’t and won’t obey the laws, so maybe the beating that Johnson is taking from internet conservatives isn’t as deserved as they think.
Talk about “isolationism” misses the point that the regime has been and is extremely incompetent and corrupt when it comes to foreign policy. Surely there are other alternatives than backing it to the hilt and retreating into isolationism.
no they are competent at evil, at smashing every part of this country, that works, at corrupting the souls of the youths of turning the educational institutions into sludge, that was why they stole the election, why they murdered ashley babbitt on the Capital Grounds, and then covered it up, why they are conducting this sham tribunal, of Trump despite there are no grounds, so give a hand to miss maher miss disinfo, and all of these other mad defarge women, who seem to largely overdose?? on magic mushrooms,
all of these crazy people will be empowered by a Hot War, and this is what they want as a pretext to silence our voices and if need be our physical beings, we see in the UK how love of the traditions of the UK are verboten, but love of the State is mandatory,
like the lockdowns, which did what at least Napoleon the Kaiser and Hitler could not do to the Angel Isle,
Kate:
It isn’t knee jerk to put a historical label on positions that have been advocated Since February 24, 2022.
Positions which excused Russian aggression as “realistic” but further Russian aims, positions that cede the Russian view on the inevitalability of Russian victory, positions that cave to Russian threats, positions that ignore Russian weakness. So after 2+ years spades are spades.
You can consult Institute For The Study of War, Foundation For Defense of Democracy, Cdrsalamander on Substack, Anderson Puck Nielsen on YouTube, Ukraine The Latest podcast (The Telegraph UK, conservative but genuinaly ignorant of US politics when It comes to President Trump) for sources of information in the Russian war on Ukraine.
My thoughts? Another year at least until Russia looks for a way out, especially now that their bid to starve the Ukrainians of ordnance may be ending for a little while. Fog of war. Will the Crimea be cut off this spring/summer? Will the Russians be able to counter the Ukrainian drones? Will the Ukrainians really hurt Russian oil refining and export? Will the Ukrainians CBRC able to push the Ruskies air assets back from the contact line? Will the Ukrainuans be able to get more troops (conscription law)? Will the Russians be totes fine with another 150,000 casualties in the next 6-8 months? Fog of war.
People who are so sure what is inevitable are full of themselves or worse.
Even with the funding Ukraine will still lose, this is simply a waste of money. Like everything from Vietnam to Afghanistan the end result is not in the US interest but of great importance to the aggressors. And after Vietnam and Afghanistan were lost, what predictions of losing came true? (Vietnam’s domino effect is the same argument used today about Putin not stopping, the pro war crowd are using the exact same lies).
When Ukraine does lose, in less than a year, I’ll come back to remind everyone and see if there is any remorse to the waste of money and lives you wasted, for a place whose governance and boundaries have no relevance to improving the lives of US citizens.
@ whatever:
America had boots on the ground in Vietnam and Afghanistan, in case you didn’t know.
Ukraine is fighting for its freedom & life, and has never asked America to put boots on the ground there.
Karmic Tip: don’t hold your breath until you come back to “remind everyone”…
om, thanks for an answer without snark. I have followed the news sources you mention throughout. So, basically, you don’t know, but you think, in the one-to-two year time frame, that Russia can essentially be beaten back. It’s possible. I hope so.
whatever:
Yep and North Korea was destined to completely conquer South Korea.
Remember that “whatever”? Who is still lined up with North Korea? Communist China and the Russians.
Isolationists never learn anything. Not a F’en thing.
Grim pragmatism in Donbas:
Inside Ukraine’s frontlines against Russia in Donbas
In addition to drones, some of the Russian munitions the Ukrainian soldier refers to are likely a stockpile of heavy Soviet-era munitions retrofitted as glide bombs the Russians are launching from outside air defense range. Russia’s attrition approach may in part be designed to gradually use up that stockpile.
The USA is being invaded by hundreds if not thousands of mainly military age males and you squabble over Ukraine (which I support) but this is a deliberate distraction. The Red states are going to have to harden up against the Feds and deport the invaders to NY and Cali and destroy those states. 30000 mainland Chinese males have entered the USA this year alone. They are being SENT by the CCP. Wake up America!
These weapons are outside air defense range as long as Ukraine has insufficient reloads and insufficient launch platforms.
Go Team Isolationist!
A-50 AWACS type platforms, SU-30, and SU-34s don’t fall out of the sky when SAMS are absent. Cause and effect.
Go Team Isolationist!
Making Ukrainian sky and nearby Russian sky safe (for Vladdy) again!
Presume Russia “wins” in a realistic sense; Ukraine runs out of live men before the Russians do. But, as in WW II, the Russians have damn’ few left themselves, not to mention wealth of various kinds and their magazines are empty.
Presumably Vlad and his advisors, and big shots who more or less support the regime in order to not be defenestrated plus get a piece of the action here and there, will not look on the next venture quite so cheerfully. Recalling the pre-operation predictions.
Then there are the Russian people. I have no idea how they will react, which is different from how they think about things. But there is some massive bereavement, and that at second-hand as well. One worries about the family next door whose son was killed. How are they getting along? Is it true the mother two blocks over killed herself? [Reality note; I notified a family in Feb of 71. Found out three years ago that mom had killed herself five years after. I’d known she was gone but no cause given all these years. It will happen.]
So…do they have enough Stalin and Beria to keep things quiet?
whatever:
Actually, the rationale for helping Ukraine vis a vis Putin is more about whether Putin is someone who will be content with just getting some of Ukraine, or whether he is intent on restoring the entire Soviet empire. It is more akin to what faced the West in the 1930s vis a vis trying to decide how far Hitler would go when he was supposedly just wanting the Sudetenland, than it is to the Far East and the Domino Theory way (one of these days I may write a post on the Domino Theory; suffice to say it was nowhere near as clearly wrong as many people seem to say it was.)
“Ukrainians have killed a lot more Russians over these 2+ years: 457,830 dead Russian troops, and some 1,373,490 more wounded—and who knows how many of those Russians are now crippled for life.” -Karmi
Reality check here.
The 455,000 “liquidated” number is from Ukraine and the ambiguity is whether “liquidated” means killed or killed and wounded.
The US DoD estimates total casualties (killed and wounded) at around 315,000 for Russia.
Mediazona with the BBC estimates 85,000 military members killed since the beginning of 2022 which is high based on the 315,000 DoD casualty figure using likely killed/wounded ratio. The 85,000 figure would be in line with Ukraine’s number of 455,000– though that would be both killed and wounded.
Ukraine has said they have suffered 31,000 killed and using a similar ratio, that would put their casualty numbers at around 170,000.
Keep in mind the casualty figures are higher for the attacking force than the defending force based on the fact the attacking force has to expose its troops. Those numbers will like reverse if and when Ukraine goes on a sustained attack to regain territory at some point in the future (likely 2025?).
Horrible numbers for both Ukraine and Russia.
As a comparison, US suffered 58,200 killed and over 300,000 wounded in our 10 year war in Vietnam. Also horrible numbers.
At Least 50,000 Russian Military Deaths, Likely Thousands More, Recorded In Ukraine War
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-war-ukraine-deaths/32903736.html
The US won’t seriously end illegals walking over the “border” until there’s a Rep President who is pushing enforcement of current laws.
Johnson is right about sending bullets rather than US soldiers — but that should be US made weapons of all types.
Not cash.
Tom Grey:
As far as I can see, it’s mostly weapons they’re sending, not cash.
See this.