Progressive Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., expressed his support for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in the event that the lower chamber decides to vote on his removal from office. This comes after Johnson successfully passed foreign aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
On Saturday, the long-awaited foreign aid bills finally passed in the House. However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., along with other House Republicans, has threatened to challenge the speaker’s decision by filing a motion to vacate. Their concern stems from the speaker’s support for the aid bills and collaboration with Democrats on various issues.
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In an interview on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Khanna acknowledged Johnson’s efforts in passing foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, giving him credit for his actions. Khanna also expressed his intention to vote in favor of tabling a motion to vacate, which effectively delays the progress of legislation in Congress.
“I identify as a progressive Democrat, and I believe there are several progressive Democrats who share my stance on this matter,” stated Khanna. “While Speaker Johnson and I may not see eye-to-eye on various issues, I must commend him for making the right decision in this instance. He should retain his position until the conclusion of his term.”
If Greene and her supporters are able to gather enough GOP support, Johnson might have to depend on Democrats to maintain his position in power.
Critics from the hard-right have voiced their disagreement with Johnson’s decision to not link border and immigration policy changes to the foreign aid bills. The legislation, which had been delayed for several months, was held up as Johnson prioritized resolving the imminent threat of a government shutdown before allocating funds for foreign aid.
Johnson decided to divide the assistance bills into separate pieces in order to give GOP representatives the freedom to choose which bills they wanted to support. Among these bills were three that allocated $60.8 billion for Ukraine, $26.4 billion for Israel, and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, there was a fourth bill that aimed to potentially ban TikTok, a widely-used video-based social media app, across the entire nation.
Although aid to Ukraine was passed with bipartisan support and by large margins, a significant number of Republicans, 112 in total, voted against it.
During an interview with ABC on Sunday, Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas, praised Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision as a “profile in courage.”
“I am incredibly proud of Speaker Mike Johnson and the transformation he has undergone,” expressed McCaul, emphasizing his support for Johnson in any potential challenges to his position. “Ultimately, true courage lies in prioritizing the welfare of our nation over personal interests.”
According to McCaul, the fact that Democrats are supporting the speaker demonstrates that the House is currently experiencing a “bipartisan era,” despite the historical division in the chamber.
