Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson said that the project of aid to Ukraine should be put to a vote after the Easter holidays — no earlier than April 9. However, it will have some "important innovations", such as the transfer of assistance to credit.
The Hill writes about it.
Johnson emphasized that he is in a difficult position. However, he said he has been working on an aid package for Ukraine and plans to bring it up for a vote when the House returns to business.
"We are working to build that consensus. We are talking to all the members especially now over the district work period. When we return after this work period, we’ll be moving a product, but it’s going to, I think, have some important innovations,” Johnson said.
As an example, Johnson gave credit assistance to Ukraine. This is intended to "pacify" those Republicans who oppose further financing of Ukraine.
In addition, Johnson mentioned the "REPO for Ukrainians" law, which authorizes the president to seize Russian sovereign assets frozen in the United States and transfer them to Ukraine for use against Russia. He called this idea "pure poetry." He says the U.S. provides aid so that it "can be returned when the time comes."
These statements were made after Johnson made it clear that he would put the project on financing Ukraine to a vote, but he still has not decided what exactly this project will look like.
It became known in February that Speaker of the House of Representatives Johnson and the Republicans are developing a new bill on aid to Ukraine. At a meeting with Republican senators, Johnson said that the United States should not provide military aid to Ukraine for free, but on credit or lend-lease arms. In Johnsonʼs opinion, aid to Ukraine will not be financed at the expense of American taxpayers.
What about American aid to Ukraine
US military aid to Ukraine was exhausted at the end of 2023. Last year in October, Joe Biden submitted a request to Congress for the allocation of $106 billion, of which more than $61 billion is intended for Ukraine, mostly for the purchase of weapons from the United States. The rest of the funds from the package were intended for Israel, aid to the Asia-Pacific region, humanitarian activities in the Gaza Strip, etc. However, the request was not approved due to political disputes.
Subsequently, an alternative draft law appeared on the $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, of which $61 billion is for Ukraine. The US Senate voted for him on February 13. Both houses of the US Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) must approve the legislation before President Joe Biden can sign it. However, the US House of Representatives adjourned without voting for aid to Ukraine.