House leaders are taking another step toward signing off on billions in new foreign aid Saturday, with the chamber prepped to pass a group of bills weeks after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) blocked a similar package backed by the Senate and President Joe Biden.
Floor debate opened Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m., with large numbers of both Republican and Democrat lawmakers supporting the package. The bills easily passed the chamber Friday night in a rules vote 316-94. Johnson opted to split the package into four separate bills that focus individually on military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as humanitarian aid for Gaza. Language that could potentially ban TikTok from U.S. markets within a year was also included, in an effort to appease members of both parties.
Next moves in the House
House Democrats plan to hold a caucus meeting at noon, though House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) appeared “confident” Saturday morning enough Democrats would vote to send the bills to the Senate.
“I am confident that all four are going to pass,” she told reporters, “I am so proud of this Democratic Caucus that has brought us to this moment, where we are going to stand with our allies, we are going to stand with Ukraine, as they face extremism and fascism at their borders.”
A vote should come shortly after the meeting.
Where the motion to vacate Johnson stands
Still, the House Speaker put himself on the hot seat with hardline members of the GOP, as two Republican congressmen this week signed onto the motion to vacate, brought against Johnson by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) after Johnson worked with Democrats to pass government funding legislation last month.
“This was a monumental achievement,” Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said of Johnson’s finessing of the foreign aid package through the house. “With a lot of this behind us, you know, we can move forward with some more normalcy, I hope. Unless we have a motion to vacate, which is foreseeable.”
The Senate is ready
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he expects the Senate will take up the package Tuesday, assuming it passes the House on Saturday, and Biden said earlier in the week that he would sign the package into law after it moves through Congress.
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The House is scheduled for final votes on the legislation Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
