Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Sipa
Republican Texas Congressman Michael McCaul speaks during a news conference in Washington, April 16, 2024.
CNN
—
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul on Sunday praised House Speaker Mike Johnson for bringing the foreign aid bill to the floor, characterizing the move as a “show of courage.”
“I’m very proud of Chairman Mike Johnson,” the Texas Republican, who has been a strong supporter of passing the additional foreign aid bill, said on ABC’s “This Week.” “He went through a transformation. At the end of the day, the profile of courage is to put the nation before yourself, and that’s what he did. He said, ‘At the end of the day, I Regardless of your job, you will be on the right side of history.”
Aid to Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region escaped months of congressional gridlock on Saturday as the House passed a $95 billion foreign aid package in four separate bills. The bills will be combined into one amendment and sent to the Senate for a vote on Tuesday. The vote to advance the key aid bill comes amid growing bipartisan pressure on Mr Johnson to pass support for his overseas allies and as far-right allies move to strip him of the gavel. It was conducted.
A small group of hardline Republicans led by Georgia firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is backing efforts to oust Mr. Johnson from House leadership and rely on Democrats to pass priorities such as foreign aid. He criticized the Louisiana Republican congressman. Mr McCall, who was with Mr Johnson the night before the foreign aid bill was announced, said the House of Commons leader, a devout Christian, was dealing with the political consequences of doing the “right thing” by bringing the package to the floor. He told CNN in detail that he prayed while doing so. floor.
“Time is running out. Ukraine is preparing to collapse,” McCaul said Sunday. “He went from a district in Louisiana to president of the United States to someone who had to look out at the whole world and shoulder that burden and make the right decisions.”
McCaul argued that the majority of House Republicans voted against additional aid to Ukraine because the conference had “accepted an either-or mentality” between supporting the U.S. southern border and aiding Ukraine. .
“The eyes of the world are watching, our adversaries are watching, history is watching – and that’s what I’ve been saying to my colleagues: Do you want to be Chamberlain or do you want to be Churchill? ” Mr. McCall questioned the analogy he has repeatedly used in discussions about continuing support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Even if Mr Johnson passes these aid bills victoriously, the House of Commons could be thrown into chaos again if the party’s far-right wing is able to oust him from the speakership.
Asked whether he thought Johnson’s job was in jeopardy after the successful vote, McCall said, “Mike Johnson’s stock has gone up quite a bit.” “We are collecting,” he claimed.
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez of Texas, who represents a district along the southern border, also praised Johnson on Sunday for his role in passing the bill.
“We’re at a stage where we’re just trying to govern, and that’s what Mike Johnson did, he governed in an honorable way,” Gonzalez told CNN’s Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Ta.
“The House is a rough and tumble place, but Mike Johnson will be fine,” said Gonzalez, who voted Saturday to pass aid legislation for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, adding that he believes Johnson will be the speaker. He expressed confidence that the threat would be overcome.
Former President Donald Trump has voiced strong opposition to aid to Ukraine in the past, arguing that the U.S. should not give foreign aid unless it’s a loan and intending to encourage Russian aggression against NATO members that don’t pay enough. It was suggested that it was. But President Trump has not publicly commented on the package passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday, and has previously expressed support for Johnson as speaker.
“What[Trump]wants is to give Ukraine a lifeline,” McCaul argued, “so that when he takes office, he can negotiate and save that lifeline. ” he said.
This article has been updated with additional reporting.
