Speaker Kevin McCarthy is now backtracking on his plan to remove Ukraine aid from a massive military spending bill in an attempt to avoid a government shutdown next week.
Speaker McCarthy is now saying that the bill will include $300 million in aid, which will be used “to provide assistance, including training; equipment; lethal assistance; logistics support, supplies and services; salaries and stipends; sustainment; and intelligence support to the military and national security forces of Ukraine, and to other forces or groups recognized by and under the authority of the Government of Ukraine, including governmental entities within Ukraine, engaged in resisting Russian aggression against Ukraine, for replacement of any weapons or articles provided to the Government of Ukraine from the inventory of the United States.”
This is a complete reversal of his position the day before, in an attempt to get a spending bill approved and avoid a government shutdown on October 1st. McCarthy previously wanted to strip funding from the bill and give it a seperate vote.
McCarthy is now saying that he will bring the bill that includes Ukraine aid to the floor “win or lose, and show the American public who’s for the Department of Defense, who’s for our military, who’s for giving them a pay raise and who’s for making sure we can take the wokeism out.”
McCarthy argued that it would be too complicated to remove the aid because of the Republicans' funding strategy to bringing the Defense bill to the floor with other measures.
“It became too difficult to do that, so we’re leaving it in,” McCarthy told reporters about the Ukraine funds.
Even with Ukraine funding included, it is unclear if the House Republicans have the votes to open debate on four government funding bills: Defense, State, Homeland Security and an agriculture bill.
“We’ll see if we get there,” Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), a member of the Rules Committee, said about the vote Tuesday to start debate.
A coalition of House conservatives broke from convention and opposed the rule for the Pentagon appropriations bill twice last week, blocking the legislation from moving forward to debate and a vote on final passage.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) supported the rule Tuesday but voted against it Thursday, citing the Ukraine aid. Greene told the Hill that removing Ukraine aid from the bill “should have happened weeks ago.”
“Unfortunately it looks like some of the House’s strongest conservatives are going to vote for the rule to help along..the ‘process.’ Voting yes on the rule means more money for Ukraine. It’s that simple. No one who wants peace should vote yes on the rule to advance the bills. That’s why I’m a HARD NO on the rules package and a blank check for Ukraine!”, Greene tweeted.
TOO HARD TO TAKE OUT THE "AID"? Calling bs on that bs.
what a POS!