Johnson moving forward with Ukraine aid bill despite pressure from hardliners

Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday he is sticking with his plan to put a series of foreign aid bills on the floor, including funding for Ukraine, after facing significant pressure from hardliners.

Johnson said in a note to members that they will vote on these Saturday evening.

“After significant Member feedback and discussion, the House Rules Committee will be posting soon today the text of three bills that will fund America’s national security interests and allies in Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and Ukraine, including a loan structure for aid, and enhanced strategy and accountability,” Johnson said in the note.

The three-part supplemental package looks strikingly similar to the Senate’s bill in several key ways including that the package includes a little more than $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza and other conflict zones around the world, which had been a red line for Democrats.

The bills, taken together, also add up to about $95 billion in aid – the same amount the Senate bill included – with an adjustment that $10 billion in Ukraine economic assistance is in the form of a repayable loan. This specific assistance is the kind of direct payment that helps Ukraine’s government continue to function during a war.