House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is unlikely to release his plan for Ukraine aid this week, Punchbowl News reported this morning. Johnson’s plan is expected to include provisions that would fund the support with seized Russan assets and pausing the Biden administration’s ban on approvals of liquefied natural gas exports.
The White House said Tuesday it is open to the natural gas export ban but wants to see the proposal first, Reuters reported.
House members return to Washington today. Johnson is expected to talk with his Republican colleagues in the coming days to gauge support. At least one far-right member of his conference has started the process of calling for Johnson’s ouster and has tied that to Johnson’s support for Ukraine, as The Guardian reported.
Johnson’s Support from the Right
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompei and John Walters, the CEO and president of the conservative Hudson Institute, are pressing Johnson to push ahead.
“None of our challenges at home will be made better by abandoning our allies at this time of great need, when they are staring down enemies of the free world,” they wrote in a recent letter, The Hill reported. “The United States remains the indispensable nation. And this is a time for choosing. We encourage you to lead, and we will stand with you.”
AP photo by J Scott Applewhite
