WASHINGTON, DC –House Democrats bragged on Friday after helping pass Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) rule, opposed by hardline conservatives, that unlocks votes on foreign aid bills.
The majority of those who voted for Johnson’s rule, which allows votes on $60.84 billion in Ukraine aid, $26.38 billion in Israel, and $8.12 billion in Indo-Pacific aid, were Democrats, with 165 voting in favor of it, along with 151 Republicans.
🚨BREAKING — THE HOUSE has resoundingly cleared the rule to consider the foreign aid bill.
316-94
Y:
165 D
151 RN:
39 D
55 R— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) April 19, 2024
As Republicans had just a one-seat majority, Johnson needed substantial Democrat help to get the rule passed, with 55 of his members voting against it, after he had been adamant for months the House would not take up Ukraine aid without border security measures.
Mike Johnson told us REPEATEDLY no Ukraine money without border security. We’ve gotten the exact opposite.
He came out with 4 bills:
$61 billion for Ukraine
$26 billion for Israel
$8 billion for Taiwan
+ banning TikTok, and a Ukraine loanThen, only AFTER “considerable… pic.twitter.com/qxB0CMRRqV
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 18, 2024
Ranking Member of the Rules Committee Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), who helped push through the rule from the committee for Friday’s vote, boasted to a handful of reporters after the rule’s passage, “The Democrats have repeatedly been the adults in the room.”
“I mentioned on the floor all the time we bail them out,” he said, adding that Republicans “have got to get their House in order.”
When asked if “Democrats might have to save this speaker,” who faces a motion to vacate led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that is growing in support, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said, “I think Democrats are going to continue to save the country.”
“And when the speaker proposes something that we think is good for the country, we’re not going to arbitrarily oppose it because it happens to be a Republican proposal,” Hoyer said, emphasizing the bill is extremely similar to the Senate’s version of the foreign aid package.
“Frankly, this was a proposal, essentially, of 70 members of the United States Senate who came over here in a bipartisan way,” he added. “I’m sorry that we didn’t take it up immediately because I think we set up a muddled message to the international community.”
Breitbart News also caught up with Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), asking, “What does it say about the state of the house right now that more Democrats voted for Speaker Johnson’s role than Republicans?”
“I think you’re seeing bipartisanship, which is what the American people, Democrats and Republicans, have been asking for — maybe not the primary voter, but the general election voter is wanting to know why we can’t function together. And in this instance, this is Democrats and Republicans coming together for America,” Moskowitz said.
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