House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing the most significant threat to his leadership yet as he grapples with advancing a stalled Ukraine aid package and an internal Republican rebellion led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The embattled speaker returned to Washington this week after huddling with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where he received a tepid endorsement but no clear path forward on the $95 billion bill passed by the Senate two months ago.
Revolt on the Right Imperils Johnson’s Speakership
Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest allies in Congress, has kept up a barrage of attacks on Johnson, threatening to force a vote on his ouster if he brings any Ukraine funding bill to the House floor.
The Georgia firebrand represents a faction of hard-right Republicans who remain vehemently opposed to additional aid for Ukraine, which they view as a misguided foreign policy priority.
Despite Greene’s threats, Johnson has been working behind the scenes to thread the needle on a Ukraine package that can pass the narrowly divided House. But he faces a daunting challenge in crafting a bill that can attract enough Republican and Democratic support without triggering a revolt from his right flank that could cost him the speakership.
Pressure Builds as Ukraine’s Battlefield Woes Mount
The stakes for Johnson couldn’t be higher as the war in Ukraine drags into its third year with no end in sight. Ukrainian forces are struggling to repel a renewed Russian offensive in the east, with the vital city of Chasiv Yar under constant bombardment8.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for more Western weapons and ammunition, warning that Ukraine risks running out of supplies to defend itself.
“For us in Ukraine, continued US assistance helps to save human lives from Russian terror,” Zelenskyy said recently.“It means that life will continue in our cities and will triumph over war.”
Trump’s Shadow Looms Large
Complicating matters for Johnson is the looming presence of Trump, who has made skepticism of Ukraine aid a litmus test for Republican candidates.
At his meeting with Johnson on Friday, Trump suggested that any additional assistance to Ukraine should take the form of loans rather than grants.
While Trump offered some praise for Johnson’s performance as speaker, calling him “a very good job under very tough circumstances.
The former president stopped short of giving a full-throated endorsement of his Ukraine strategy. The Mar-a-Lago summit was widely seen as an attempt by a weakened Johnson to shore up his right flank and demonstrate his MAGA bona fides.
Dems Seek to Outflank GOP on Ukraine
As Johnson struggles to corral his fractious caucus, House Democrats are maneuvering to bypass the speaker and force a vote on the Senate-passed Ukraine aid bill.
Using a discharge petition, Democrats would need just a handful of Republican signatures to bring the measure to the floor, though it remains unclear if they can peel off enough GOP votes to succeed.
“The onus is now on Johnson to put the bill on the floor,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said recently.
“History settles every account. And today, on the value of American leadership and strength, history will record that the Senate did not blink.”
A Perilous Path Forward
With no clear endgame in sight, Johnson finds himself in perhaps the most precarious position of his speakership. Failing to act on Ukraine risks further undermining American credibility on the global stage and emboldening Russia, while moving forward on a bill could jeopardize his grip on power.
As the House returns to work this week, all eyes will be on Johnson as he looks to navigate a perilous path between his party’s isolationist wing and the urgent demands of a war-torn ally. For a speaker who has defied the odds before, it may be his greatest test yet.
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