Hours later, a procedural vote to start the debate failed, with 19 Republicans joining Democrats in blocking it and casting doubt on its fate ahead of the looming deadline.outlook Until President Trump spoke out, success was unclear for the program’s supporters, including embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). The former president’s intervention was never welcomed.
“I think we probably upset people about the underlying bill,” Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., told reporters afterward. “So when the president gives an opinion on something, it moves the votes of the U.S. House Republican Conference.”
An agreement was on the table by Friday morning, but only after “some conversations” with President Trump, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) said. It could be shortened and allow the former president to overhaul the intelligence community. Gauge whether he will be reappointed to the White House.
The initial sinking and compromise of national security votes by House Republicans against Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, no matter how far his mercurial politics diverge from traditional Republican orthodoxy. It’s just the latest sign that Congressional Republicans are becoming more aligned. Some Republicans, once national security hawks, now regularly attack the FBI by falsely claiming it spied on the Trump campaign. He was once a happy fighter against Russia, but now many are thinking twice about sending money to arm Ukraine. Many who once strongly supported border security and abortion bans now find reason to reject tough compromises on immigration and soften their stance on abortion with President Trump’s statements.
Mr. Trump has occasionally reiterated positions that Congressional Republicans already hold or aspire to. But his ability to shift the winds of politics and policy is undeniable, and he has helped accelerate trends, set new contours of debate, and even sink bipartisan compromises (such as immigration reform). .
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) was a Trump critic before running for office, but is now a loyalist. He said Trump has more influence in the House than in the Senate because of “political motives.” Members of the House of Representatives face voters every two years, rather than every six years like the Senate.
As the House prepares to vote on the Ukraine funds next week, Vance predicted Trump would intervene. “I believe Mr. Trump has influence and will make his views known,” Vance said.
For Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), President Trump’s departure has become “the fourth branch of government.”
Raskin argued that one of the most disturbing examples of Congressional Republicans taking cues from Trump and quickly following suit was the decision to halt the launch of an independent, bipartisan investigation into the January 6, 2021, riot. did. Since then, his influence on the conference has only grown. Ruskin said.
Mr. Trump’s influence on House Republicans will reach a crescendo on Friday at Mar-a-Lago, where House Speaker Johnson is scheduled to hold a press conference with Mr. Johnson focused on the former president’s favorite issues: immigration and allegations of voter fraud. is.
It is unclear whether the speaker will have clear support from President Trump in his fight to retain the top spot in the House. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), one of President Trump’s closest Republican allies, has threatened to remove Johnson from office if he brings support for Ukraine to the floor. This is what Mr Johnson promised. And Mr. Johnson doesn’t have the same relationship with Mr. Trump as former House Speaker McCarthy, whom he called “my Kevin.”
mccarthy During an appearance Tuesday at Georgetown University, he downplayed Trump’s influence on the bill. “Do you think the power of one person to effectively derail bipartisan consensus is a threat to the functioning of the Legislature?” the student asked McCarthy, referring to Ukraine aid and border security.
“Well, then that would mean that President Trump is the one who controls what happens or doesn’t happen in the chamber,” McCarthy replied. “It’s the speaker who has the power. And we don’t know who influenced that speaker. [on those issues]. I don’t know if Trump probably did that. ”
Whether Trump will be the deciding factor on any issue is debatable; Other Republicans are also downplaying his influence as Democrats portray him as a puppet lord in the House.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said President Trump’s legislative influence was “overstated” and “not decisive” for legislative outcomes. “President Trump has significant influence over the candidates in the primaries,” Johnson qualified.
But one thing is clear: President Trump’s bid to return to the White House looms larger than ever over congressional Republicans and 2024 candidates.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was already enraged by the far-right bloc of Republicans in the House of Representatives, who saw it as an abuse of the powers of the U.S. intelligence community. Before President Trump’s statement, right-wing lawmakers may have already put in the tank a procedural motion to start a floor debate on updating Section 702 and related measures that allow surveillance of noncitizens abroad. However, President Trump’s social media posts did not help the bill become a reality.
For example, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) made this clear to President Trump on Wednesday morning:
“We are killing FISA,” she said. said in X.
President Trump’s long-awaited statement on abortion released on Monday also clashed with some people Congressional Republicans and candidates Those who supported a nationwide ban for a specific number of weeks.He boasts that President Trump appointed Supreme Court justices he helped overturn. Roe vs. Wade But he declined to support a nationwide abortion ban, saying the issue is now up to each state.
Asked to comment on Trump’s statement, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) dismissed his previous position as unrealistic.
“I support a 15-week ban, but it won’t pass,” said Hawley (R-Missouri). “Let’s be realistic. This won’t get us even 60 votes. [in the Senate]. Let people decide. Let the voters vote. ”
In Arizona, Republican Sen. Kari Lake, a staunch ally of President Trump who is running in one of the most closely watched Senate races, has completely reversed her stance on abortion, ending the 1864 ban. It overturned previous support for the law. The state Supreme Court reinstated that ruling this week. Lake has said the antiquated law should be reinstated in 2022, but on Tuesday he told his 2022 opponent, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, that the court’s ruling should be “immediately followed by common sense.” He asked them to come up with a solution.
When it comes to abortion, long before President Trump’s latest statements, the National Republican Senatorial Committee urged candidates to oppose a nationwide ban and support certain exceptions, despite some of their past positions. I was asked to do so. President Trump’s statement only served to further obscure them.
“We agree with President Trump that abortion issues should be decided at the state level,” NRSC and Trump-backed Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers said in a statement. “The people of Michigan spoke loud and clear in 2022, and I will not act as their voice in Washington to violate the Michigan Constitution.”
Mr. Rogers, a former congressman who once supported a near-total ban on abortion in the state, has turned to politics, especially after Michigan voters enshrined the right to abortion into the state constitution two years ago. The direction of the wind has changed.
Some Republicans resent the idea that Trump is leading them. Regarding the border agreement, for example, some argue that President Trump already disagreed with the content of the bill even before he objected to it.
Nevertheless, when Trump opposed the deal, it quickly collapsed in the Senate.
Part of the deal was negotiated by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and included new asylum restrictions that had previously been deemed unacceptable by Democrats. Still, President Trump denounced it as a “terrible open-borders betrayal of America,” and within days, Senate Republicans backed away from the policy.
“[Trump] We made a very astute observation that this Senate bill was a terrible bill, and we knew it,” said Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, who represents a battleground district in California. “He doesn’t need to say that.”
When it comes to aid to Ukraine, President Trump’s skepticism is well established and has a growing following among House Republicans. He specifically called on Republicans in Congress to block any new aid to Ukraine unless it comes in the form of loans.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering the idea as he debates whether to propose a foreign aid package.
President Trump continues to stress that Congress must put “America first,” a position echoed by many House Republicans who believe the United States should prioritize the security of its own borders. , even suggesting that Ukraine’s war effort is a lost cause. Mr. Trump’s influence over Ukraine has been a major hurdle for Mr. Johnson to bring his policies to the House of Representatives, prompting Mr. Greene to threaten to overthrow him.
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) said during a Fox Business appearance on Tuesday that the United States is “probably not really going to save Ukraine, but let’s face reality.”
“We’re not going to write them off, but are we going to essentially write off the U.S.-U.S. border to send $65 billion to Ukraine? We’re not going to get anything back. For ‘never see victory’? ” Perry said.
President Trump’s stance on aiding Ukraine has also permeated the Congressional primaries, particularly the upcoming election in Indiana. Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-Indiana), He is the first Ukrainian-born immigrant to serve in the U.S. Congress. Former Rep. Jon Hostettler (R-Ind.) is seeking a comeback on the platform of ending aid to Ukraine, but she is facing a challenge from a well-funded opponent who accuses her of having a “Ukraine first” policy. are facing each other.
“Donald Trump needs the support of Congress to save America,” the narrator says in a pro-Hostetler television ad, later saying that Hostetler “…ends billions of dollars in foreign aid to corrupt countries.” “I will fight for it,” he added. Ukraine. ”
Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed to this report
