Leaders in each events vowed that Russian President Vladimir Putin should pay for the demise of famed opposition chief Alexey Navalny. It is unclear although how their tributes will translate into tangible motion, particularly on Congress’ long-delayed push to ship extra support for Ukraine’s protection.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned in a press release that worldwide leaders “have to be clear that Putin will probably be met with united opposition.” However to this point, Johnson has signaled that he is in no rush for the Home to cross the Senate-led $95 billion support package deal that former President Donald Trump and different conservatives oppose.
“As Congress debates the perfect path ahead to assist Ukraine, the US, and our companions have to be utilizing each means obtainable to chop off Putin’s skill to fund his unprovoked conflict in Ukraine and aggression towards the Baltic states,” Johnson mentioned in a press release.
Whereas it is true that the international support invoice may garner 218 votes, getting the invoice on the ground is one other matter totally. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has threatened to make use of the identical mechanism conservatives employed in addition then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy from energy if Johnson handed extra funding for Ukraine.
Some centrist Democrats have prompt they’d shield Johnson if such a problem have been to come up, however a GOP speaker remaining in energy with the assistance of Democrats could be a politically dicey actuality.
Overcoming the Home GOP opposition hasn’t and will not be simple.
McCarthy additionally left one other conundrum for his successor. The California Republican made two key concessions to finish the impasse that allowed him to rise to what turned his traditionally transient speakership.
The primary is now a part of his political obituary — he allowed for any single lawmaker to boost a movement to vacate. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, took this energy and used it in a historic second that noticed McCarthy kicked out of management.
The opposite concession, stocking the highly effective Home Guidelines Committee with staunch conservatives, continues to plague the Home. Successfully, as Axios reported earlier this 12 months, it forces the Home to cross virtually any main laws with two-thirds assist or 290 votes, in comparison with a easy majority.
There are methods for Democrats and any supportive Republicans to blast by this de facto blockade. However there are prices to virtually any procedural maneuver, and a few require vital time. All, if Johnson stays opposed, would carry the political price of asking the GOP to defy their chief and their colleagues. Trump, given his opposition to the Senate invoice, would possible apply stress too.
It is why Matt Glassman, a senior fellow at Georgetown College’s Authorities Affairs Institute, has emphasised that the query shouldn’t be if there may be energy obtainable to 218 lawmakers in the event that they need to cross Ukraine support however whether or not all of these lawmakers are united within the extent of simply how far they are going to push the difficulty.
“It is completely true that 218 (or 216 proper now) within the Home can power one thing onto the ground,” Glassman wrote on X, previously referred to as Twitter, earlier this week. “You possibly can’t cease them. But it surely’s provided that they don’t have any different political issues. Hellbent.”
Centrist Republicans for the second have mentioned they aren’t able to assist efforts that undermine Johnson. A small bipartisan group of Home lawmakers has proposed a slimmed-down $66.32 billion proposal that will pair the protection support with a legislative push to enshrine the Trump-era “Stay in Mexico” coverage into regulation. (Congress cannot recreate that coverage by itself, the Mexican authorities must be concerned.)
Congress has a protracted to-do record.
It isn’t simply the logistics which might be troublesome. Congress has a lot of work after lawmakers return from their President’s Day recess.
The federal authorities will partially shut down on March 1 if extra funding is not handed. Johnson’s thought of dual-track funding means one other deadline will comply with quickly after. The identical day of the second funding deadline, March 8, there’s one other deadline for lawmakers to increase the FAA’s funding authority.
By mid-April, lawmakers should work out the way forward for the controversial Part 702 spy powers. Congress can also be behind on the large laws that funds farming and meals help packages, although lawmakers punted that to this fall.
The best instance that this second will not possible change something got here final 12 months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky got here in December to make a last-minute plea to Congress to offer the funding his nation must repel Russia’s invasion. Schumer in contrast him to Churchill. Whereas a high Senate Republican questioned if he even moved the needle.
Two months later, we all know the reply. Ukraine support nonetheless hasn’t handed.
