House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that the House will try again this week to pass a military aid pack package for Israel, following this weekend’s drone and missile launches from Iran.
“The details of that package are being put together now,” the Lousiana Republican told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “We’re looking at the options and all the supplemental issues.”
However, Johnson did not say if the aid for Israel would be included with aid for Ukraine.
“We’ll send our package — we’ll put something together and send it to the Senate,” Johnson said.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Saturday night that the House’s schedule will be changed next week after the Iranian weapons barrage.
“In light of Iran’s unjustified attack on Israel, the House will move from its previously announced legislative schedule next week to instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable,” Scalise said Saturday, adding that the House “stands strongly with Israel, and there must be consequences for this unprovoked attack. More details on the legislative items to be considered will be forthcoming.”
Previous Republican attempts to pass a standalone aid package in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel died following opposition from Democrats.
House Republicans, along with some Democrats, passed a $14.3 billion Israel aid package last November, but the legislation stalled when it got to the Senate.
Johnson also tried in February to pass a clean $17.6 billion Israel aid package, but it did not get bipartisan support out of fears that it would undermine aid for Ukraine.
However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has threatened to force a vote for Johnson’s removal, if he holds a ballot on Ukraine aide.
“That’s a distraction,” Johnson said Sunday. “What Marjorie has done with the motion to vacate is not helpful for our party.”
Johnson was expected to meet later on Sunday with lawmakers on national security issues, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul, who told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he is committed that legislation for an aid package for Ukraine will come to the floor, adding that his “preference is this week.”
The White House, along with key Democrats and Republicans in the Senate are calling on Johnson to move forward with the $95 billion bipartisan bill passed in the Senate, which will provide $14.1 billion in aid to Israel and $60 billion in assistance to Ukraine if passed.
“We didn’t need any reminders in terms of what’s going on in Ukraine,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” while pressing for the legislation to hit the House floor as soon as possible. “But last night certainly underscores significantly the threat that Israel faces in a very, very tough neighborhood.”
Johnson instead has sought to create his own legislation, including structuring aid to Ukraine as a loan on the behest of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
“He and I are 100% united on these bigger items,” Johnson said of the former president, after meeting with him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida Friday.
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who chairs the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the speaker “has made it clear” that he sees a path for funding for Israel, Ukraine, and allies in Asia to come to the House floor this week.
Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used to compile this report.
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