https://sputnikglobe.com/20231026/tackling-ukraine-aid-may-become-new-house-speakers-moment-of-truth--analyst-1114502405.html
Tackling Ukraine Aid May Become New House Speaker's Moment of Truth – Analyst
Tackling Ukraine Aid May Become New House Speaker's Moment of Truth – Analyst
Sputnik International
‘Virtually unknown’ Mike Johnson being picked to be at the helm of the House raised some eyebrows, US political analyst and Republican strategist Melik Abdul told Sputnik.
2023-10-26T14:32+0000
2023-10-26T14:32+0000
2023-10-27T16:45+0000
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Mike Johnson has been sworn in as the 56th Speaker of the US House of Representatives, in what ended three weeks of chaos in the lower chamber after Kevin McCarthy's ouster.This was followed by Johnson announcing that the House is "back in business," and pledging that his first legislative action would be in support of Israel, which purportedly faces multiple threats. The 51-year-old politician never mentioned Ukraine-related issues among the House's priorities in his opening speech.He suggested that “people on the Hill ultimately decided to go with” Johnson because “there was a problem with each of the other candidates,” including Republicans Tom Emmer, Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan.When asked how the House would deal with President Joe Biden’s request for $105 billion in national security funding under the new Speaker, Abdul stressed that “this is where the rubber will meet the road for Mike Johnson.”The analyst recalled that “part of the reason that Kevin McCarthy was ousted [as House Speaker] because they [lawmakers] wanted 12 different appropriation bills.”He suggested that even if Johnson “breaks apart to split all of the bills, Democrats will still support the Ukraine funding.”In early October, then-US GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by his own party for clinching a deal with President Biden to continue funding the Kiev regime.This came after the Republican-controlled House introduced a bill to extend government funding for 45 days and avoid a government shutdown, a document that does not stipulate further assistance to Ukraine. Biden, at the same time, made it clear that the US “will not walk away” from Ukraine as far as aid goes.For more in-depth analysis of current affairs, tune in to our Sputnik Radio show, The Backstory.
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new house speaker mike johnson, president joe biden’s request for $105 billion in national security funding, us government shutdown
new house speaker mike johnson, president joe biden’s request for $105 billion in national security funding, us government shutdown
Tackling Ukraine Aid May Become New House Speaker's Moment of Truth – Analyst
14:32 GMT 26.10.2023 (Updated: 16:45 GMT 27.10.2023) ‘Virtually unknown’ Mike Johnson being picked to be at the helm of the House raised some eyebrows, US political analyst and Republican strategist Melik Abdul told Sputnik.
Mike Johnson has been sworn in as the 56th Speaker of the US House of Representatives, in what ended three weeks of chaos in the lower chamber after Kevin McCarthy's ouster.
This was followed by Johnson announcing that the House is "back in business," and pledging that his first legislative action would be in support of Israel, which purportedly faces multiple threats. The 51-year-old politician never mentioned Ukraine-related issues among the House's priorities in his opening speech.
“I was actually surprised [by the lawmakers’ choice] because I’ve never heard of Mike Johnson,” Abdul said.
He suggested that “people on the Hill ultimately decided to go with” Johnson because “there was a problem with each of the other candidates,” including Republicans Tom Emmer, Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan.
“He [Johnson]'s not a nobody, but he is just a virtual unknown for the American people. I think another thing that we don't know what life will be like with Mike Johnson as speaker of the House for the Republican Party,” the analyst argued.
When asked how the House would deal with President Joe Biden’s request for $105 billion in national security funding under the new Speaker, Abdul stressed that “this is where the rubber will meet the road for Mike Johnson.”
The analyst recalled that
“part of the reason that Kevin McCarthy was ousted [as House Speaker] because they [lawmakers] wanted 12 different appropriation bills.”“Another issue was the funding for Ukraine. The funding there is not in the [yet-to-be-passed] C.R. [continuing resolution] yet. […] What Biden wants to do is combine that in all of those, the funding for Taiwan, the funding for Ukraine, the funding for Israel, the funding the border security, he wants to tie all of those into one bill. So the test for Mike Johnson on the one hand will be okay,” Abdul emphasized.
He suggested that even if Johnson “breaks apart to split all of the bills, Democrats will still support the Ukraine funding.”
“It will be a very interesting time to see how Johnson navigates this caucus because he is the most inexperienced speaker that we've ever had in this position. He's not a prolific fundraiser. He doesn't have the name recognition. So there are a lot of unknowns with Mike Johnson. And so it will be interesting to see how he navigates the caucus and how the caucus responds to the reality of what it means to be a speaker of the House,” the Republican strategist concluded.
In early October, then-US GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by his own party for clinching a deal with President Biden to continue funding the Kiev regime.
This came after the Republican-controlled House introduced a bill to extend government funding for 45 days and avoid
a government shutdown, a document that does not stipulate further assistance to Ukraine. Biden, at the same time, made it clear that the US
“will not walk away” from Ukraine as far as aid goes.
For more in-depth analysis of current affairs, tune in to our Sputnik Radio show, The Backstory. 
