Pelosi Says She’d Support Johnson’s Stand-alone Ukraine Aid Bill
Vote for more US assistance would be bipartisan, former speaker adds
Rep Nancy Pelosi would support a standalone bill that would provide additional US assistance to the embattled nation of Ukraine.
Faced with a discharge petition to skirt his authority, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly committed this weekend to allow legislation to come to the House floor to provide Ukraine with the further US support it desperately needs to continue to fight Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s full-scale, brutal invasion.
Although the US government has been aiding Ukraine in its war effort, that assistance largely dried up late last year and additional aid has been held up by far-right Republicans.
Ukraine has been faltering in its fight without new US support, running out of crucial ammunition and other supplies.
Johnson now is looking at legislation to help Ukraine untethered to other issues or aid to Israel or other countries.
Such a bill would have to be brought up under suspension of the rules and require massive Democratic support to reach the two-thirds margin needed to pass under suspension.
It’s an approach that the last Democratic House speaker would support.
“Well, it depends on what’s in it, but absolutely,” Pelosi said, in an on-camera interview with CNN.
“We cannot go home for Passover and Easter if it — we must have this assistance to Ukraine,” the California Democrat added. “It’s sad that it’s taken so long, but I’m glad to hear that there’s a path. We have tried to, under the leadership of Hakeem Jeffries in the House, who’s been a tremendous leader, use our leverage, one way or another, to show a path, and that may have weighed in on the speaker’s decision because he knows something has to happen, and we have our options.
“So, why doesn’t he lead the way?” Pelosi asked, of Johnson. “And the Senate bill was strongly bipartisan. It would be bipartisan in the House. Over 300 votes would be there for assistance to Ukraine. Also, though, having humanitarian assistance for the Palestinians — there are other provisions in the bill. Some of the Republicans don’t want to give the Palestinians the assistance, and that’s part of the challenge.”
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