Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) presented President Joe Biden with a $61 billion donation on Saturday afternoon, going back on his previous commitment to not support foreign aid until the country’s border was secured. Several Democrats, along with a few Republicans, expressed their support by cheering, chanting “Ukraine,” and waving Ukrainian flags as the vote for Ukraine aid came to an end.
“It is in violation of decorum to waive flags on the floor,” Johnson scored Democrats.
The foreign aid for Ukraine was approved with a vote of 311 in favor and 112 against. Notably, Republican Dan Mauser (R-PA) chose to abstain from voting. Once again, Johnson disregarded the Hastert Rule, as only 101 Republicans supported his decision while a clear majority of 112 opposed it.
Republican House members distributed a document that detailed Johnson’s repeated insistence that the House would not move forward with the foreign aid package until America’s southern border was secured. Johnson’s change of stance came after publicly expressing uncertainty in early March, following a meeting at the White House on February 28. This reversal can be attributed to months of influence from both the White House and establishment Republicans.
“We’ve been working with him for