Mike Johnson faces revolt by hard-right Republicans over Ukraine aid package

House Speaker Faces Pressure to Advance Ukraine Aid Package

House Speaker Mike Johnson returns to work on Monday facing mounting pressure to advance a Ukraine aid package as well as the threat of an intra-party revolt if he does so.

Ukraine Aid Package and Opposition

The Republican speaker has indicated the House will take up the issue of Ukraine funding this week, as the chamber reconvenes after a two-week recess. But many hard-right members of Johnson’s conference remain staunchly opposed to additional Ukraine aid, and one of them has already threatened to oust the speaker, complicating the potential timing of a floor vote.

Supplemental Funding Request

As the House adjourned last month, Johnson vowed that the chamber would soon “take the necessary steps to address the supplemental funding request”, which includes money for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The Senate passed a $95bn foreign aid package in February, but Johnson indicated that the House would consider an amended proposal when members return to Washington.

Challenges and Innovations

“We’ve been talking to all the members, especially now over the district work period,” Johnson told Fox News last Sunday. “When we return after this work period, we’ll be moving a product, but it’s going to, I think, have some important innovations.”

Importance of Ukraine Aid

Even as Johnson faces a challenge from the hard-right flank of his conference, other House Republicans insist the chamber must take action to assist Ukraine. They warn that further inaction, after months of ignoring the White House’s demands to approve more funding, will only embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Legislative Options

Johnson already has two legislative options to approve more money for Ukraine, the Senate-approved package and a smaller $66bn bill introduced by a bipartisan group of House members. The second proposal would provide military-only funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, omitting the $10bn for humanitarian aid included in the Senate bill. The House legislation also outlines a number of border security provisions, a bid to sway some Republican members who are otherwise wary of sending more money to Kyiv.

Support Needed from Democrats

Johnson will need the support of at least some Democrats to get any aid package across the finish line. The speaker is expected to introduce a Ukraine funding bill under a procedural mechanism known as suspension of the rules, meaning he will need the support of two-thirds of members for passage. Given House Republicans’ increasingly narrow majority and hard-right members’ opposition to Ukraine funding, Johnson cannot clear that high hurdle with only votes from his conference.

Potential Motion to Vacate

While Johnson weighs his options, the specter of the motion to vacate looms in the background. If Greene follows through on her threat to force a vote on Johnson’s removal, the House must take up the matter within two legislative days. Johnson will then need the support of a majority of members to keep his job, and because of a recent string of Republican resignations, he can only afford to lose two votes within his conference.

Political Dynamics and Democratic Support

As of now, few Republicans appear eager to revisit the spectacle of last fall, when the conference’s repeated failures to elect a new speaker ground the House to a complete halt for weeks. Some centrist Democrats have already indicated they will not allow Greene to let the chamber descend into chaos, especially if she forces the motion to vacate vote over the issue of Ukraine funding.

Conclusion

With the House returning to session on Monday, Johnson will need to soon decide if he is willing to gamble his speakership on Ukraine funding. If he is not, the political costs could be severe – and the costs to Kyiv could be much higher.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere.
2. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular, the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.
3. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
4. Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
5. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.
6. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
7. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
8. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 1.1.1: Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line, by sex, age, employment status, and location.
• Indicator 2.1.1: Prevalence of undernourishment.
• Indicator 3.8.1: Coverage of essential health services (defined as the average coverage of essential services based on tracer interventions that include reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and service capacity and access).
• Indicator 4.1.1: Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex.
• Indicator 5.5.1: Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments.
• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 16.3.1: Proportion of victims of violence in the previous 12 months who reported their victimization to competent authorities or other officially recognized mechanisms.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators