Nearly 100 House Democrats and Republicans are imploring President Mike Johnson (R-La.) to immediately bring the Senate-approved package that includes aid to Israel to the House for a vote following Iran’s unprecedented attack on the country over the weekend .
On a letter sent Sunday nightLawmakers are pushing for Johnson to bring up the Senate-approved $95 billion national security supplement, which includes military aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, on Monday night.
“This weekend, the Iranian regime launched hundreds of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles directly against our main democratic ally in the Middle East, Israel. Time is of the essence and we must ensure that critical aid is delivered to Israel and our other democratic allies who face threats from our adversaries around the world,” the lawmakers wrote.
It was led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (DN.J.) and Joe Wilson (RS.C.) and signed by 89 colleagues from both sides of the aisle.
“We ask that you place the Senate’s supplemental relief package on the floor for an immediate vote when we return on Monday,” they wrote. “This relief package passed the Senate with 70 votes, Democrats and Republicans, and we can send it to the President’s Desk for signature on Monday night.”
The lawmakers’ demand goes against Johnson’s efforts to bypass the Senate-approved package, balancing opposition for weeks from members of his own party and former President Trump, who wields significant influence over the Republican Party.
Johnson is trying to avoid a revolt within his own party, with Republican firebrands — most notably Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — threatening a vote to remove the House speaker over his opposition to aid to Ukraine.
Johnson met with Trump in Florida on Friday, and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee signaled an openness to the House to approve more military aid for Ukraine. Trump, however, called for this assistance to be delivered in the form of a loan. More time would be needed to draft and vote on such changes to Senate-approved legislation, further delaying what the 91 lawmakers say is the need for an immediate vote.
But Trump’s support is important, allowing opponents of aid to Ukraine to soften their criticism.
Most Republicans and Democrats in Congress intend to deliver a comprehensive aid package with assistance to Israel and Ukraine, as well as Indo-Pacific priorities. These lawmakers consider U.S. support in these three theaters to be interconnected and want to avoid creating a precedent in which Congress chooses where to provide support.
“We can’t just pick and choose and say: Iran is bad, but Russia is good and China is bad. … They’re all in this together. And it’s very clear to us in the intelligence and national security community,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
McCaul said he expected to speak with Johnson on Sunday night about moving forward on an aid package this week, but signaled openness to a Ukraine aid loan program and other changes to the Senate-approved bill.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
