US House Democrats back Johnson's foreign aid bills

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (L) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries talk while waiting to speak during the March for Israel on the National Mall on Nov. 14, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The Democratic Party in the U.S. House of Representatives said they would support Speaker Mike Johnson’s series of bills that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and other priorities in the upcoming vote, Bloomberg reported on April 18.

U.S. assistance for Ukraine has been effectively blocked for months, leading to a rapidly deteriorating situation on the battlefield.

After months of delays and several versions of the aid bill derailed by political infighting, Johnson unveiled his plan earlier this week to vote on the package as four separate bills on April 20.

The House presented a proposal that allocates around $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, mostly in the form of defense support and replenishment of U.S. military stocks, but which also includes around $8 billion in economic assistance as loans.

As the right flank of the Republican Party said they would oppose the proposal, the Democrats’ backing is crucial for passing the bills.

“We’re going to do what’s necessary to make sure the national security bill gets over the finish line,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

“It’s not Johnson’s foreign aid package. It’s America’s foreign aid package in terms of meeting our national security needs.”

According to Bloomberg, House Democrats could also shield Johnson from an attempt by the conservatives to oust him. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who extensively criticized support for Kyiv, has repeatedly threatened to trigger the motion against Johnson.

Should the bills pass the House, they will be sent for an additional vote to the Senate as early as next week. President Joe Biden has already said that he will sign the package right after it passes Congress.