The most conservative sector of the United States House of Representatives threatens again to oust its president, Republican Mike Johnson, after announcing his intention to put to a vote aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other allies, stalled in the Congress for months due to the blockade of the Trumpist wing. Iran's attack on Israel over the weekend increased the urgency of approving this aid, which obtained the approval of the Senate with a Democratic majority in February, but Johnson had opposed it being voted on in the Lower House due to pressure from the sector. conservative of the republicans.
The details of the legislative proposal, which Johnson has announced will be voted on this Saturday, are not yet known, but it is expected to be similar to the $95 billion package approved in the Senate two months ago. However, this time it would not be a single joint law, but rather four different aid packages for each of the allies (Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other countries).
The ultraconservative sector, grouped in the Congressional group called Freedom Caucus, has increased its pressure against the speaker after the announcement, who for the moment maintains his initiative. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, former President Donald Trump's main ally in the House of Representatives, has announced that she will introduce a motion to vacate against Johnson in the coming days.
In a defiant speech against the Trumpist wing, Johnson said he considers himself a "wartime speaker" and called the threat to oust him "absurd." "I'm not going to resign, we need stable leadership. We need to have firm hands on the wheel." For their part, Democrats say they are "losing patience" with the "chaos and dysfunction of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement," said Congressman Jamie Raskin: "It's a matter of life and death, and we don't have time." for the usual arrogance and circus juggling of the Republicans.
If conservative Republicans form a majority with enough Democrats, it will be the second time this legislature that the president of the Lower House is expelled, after the dismissal of the previous speaker, Kevin McCarthy, in October of last year. And it will be one more example of the strong division within the Republican Party, which has made this Congress the most ungovernable in decades.
To approve the four legislative proposals announced, Johnson will need bipartisan support, since the Republican majority is very tight (218 to 213 congressmen) and the majority of the 41 members of the Freedom Caucus, as well as numerous Democrats, are expected to vote against. who oppose approving four different laws when they have already approved a joint one in the Senate. In particular, the conservative wing of the Republicans opposes assistance to Ukraine, while the progressive wing of the conservatives opposes aid to Israel.
