Speaker Johnson's New Plan for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

The House and Senate are Back in Session this Week

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has had a rollercoaster of a tenure thus far in his first six months on the job. There has been lots of drama, a shrinking majority and threats from the right to oust him. But this week will be the most important and consequential of his young Speakership. The House is going to decide what role the United States is going to play in global affairs at a time of international conflict.

Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend has changed the calculation. Israel now needs aid to defend itself from a hostile state with sophisticated weapons. Recent Russian advances has demonstrated that Ukraine needs weapons, ammunitions and aid to sustain and defend itself. Israel and Ukraine need help now.

Last night, Speaker Johnson unveiled his plan. It’s complicated, but everything in the House is complicated these days. The plan is to hold separate votes on aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. And a fourth bill that provides a lend lease program for Ukraine, the REPO Act that allows the use of seized Russian assets to be used to help Ukraine and the legislation that requires a sale of TikTok. The concept is it allows Republicans who oppose aid to Ukraine to get a clean vote to say no, while still supporting aid to Israel. And Democrats who support aid for Ukraine but oppose aid to Israel because of the Gaza war to vote yes on Ukraine and no on Israel. The belief – or maybe hope – is that there will still be 218 votes for Ukraine and 218 votes for Israel. Taiwan aid is expected to pass easily. All four bills would then be combined and sent as one package to the Senate.

This maneuver requires the House to pass a rule that allows for consideration of these bills under this procedure. Normally, it is the responsibility of the majority party to pass rules. But there is no way Speaker Johnson, with a one vote margin, can pass a rule with only Republican votes. It can’t even pass the Rules Committee with Republican only votes. Members on the right who oppose aid for Ukraine are going to vote no on the rule. So, Speaker Johnson’s plan will require Democratic votes for the rule – both in committee and on the floor. It is not unprecedented, but it is highly unusual for the Speaker to need to rely on votes from the minority party for a rule on major, consequential legislation. But that’s where we are.

If this plan works the House will send to the Senate long-stalled aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. If the plan fails, there is not a clear path for the United States to provide aid to allies at a critical and dangerous moment in world affairs. The Speaker needs to build and manage a bipartisan coalition to piece together a package the Senate can also pass so the President can sign it. And he needs to do that under the threat from the right of a Motion to Vacate the Chair – kick the Speaker out of his job. It is the biggest week thus far of his Speakership.

Congressional Hearings of Note:

Appropriations and the President’s FY2025 Budget: Budget hearings continue in the Appropriations and authorizing panels:

• Department of Justice: Attorney General Merrick Garland appears before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (on Tuesday, at 10AM) and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (on Wednesday, at 2:30PM).
• Department of Homeland Security: Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appears before the House Homeland Security Committee (on Tuesday, at 10AM) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (on Wednesday, at 10AM).
• Department of Energy: Secretary Jennifer Granholm appears before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (on Tuesday, at 10AM).
• Department of Health and Human Services: Secretary Xavier Becerra appears before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (on Tuesday, at 10AM) and House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health (on Wednesday, at 2PM).
• Department of Veterans Affairs: Secretary Denis McDonough appears before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (on Tuesday, at 10AM).
• Department of Agriculture: Secretary Tom Vilsack appears before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (on Tuesday, at 10AM).
• Navy and Marine Corps: Secretary Carlos Del Toro, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, and Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric Smith appears before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (on Tuesday, at 10AM).
• Federal Emergency Management Agency: Administrator Deanne Criswell appears before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security (on Tuesday, at 10AM).       
  Internal Revenue Service: Commissioner Daniel Werfel appears before the Senate Finance Committee (on Tuesday, at 10:30AM).
• Library of Congress and Architect of the Capitol: Acting Architect of the Capital Joseph DiPietro, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, Congressional Research Service Interim Director Robert Newlen, and U.S. Copyright Office Director and Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch (on Tuesday, at 11AM).
• Transportation Security Administration: Administrator David Pekoske appears before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security (on Tuesday, at 2PM).
• Department of the Interior: Secretary Deb Haaland, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joan Mooney, and Budget Director Denise Flanagan appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies (on Wednesday, at 9:30AM).
• Department of Defense: Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., and Undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer Michael McCord appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (on Wednesday, at 10AM).
• Department of Labor: Acting Secretary Julie Su appears before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (on Wednesday, at 10AM).
• Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation: Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief of Engineers and Commanding General Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science Michael Brain, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies (on Wednesday, at 10:30AM).
• Air Force and Space Force military construction and family housing: Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Energy and Environment Ravi Chaudhary, Force Director of Civil Engineers, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection Brigadier General Brian Hartless, and Space Force Associate Chief Operations Officer Bruce Hollywood appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (on Wednesday, at 2PM).
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Administrator Bill Nelson appears before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (on Wednesday, at 2PM).
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Acting Director Patrick Lechleitner appears before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security (on Wednesday, at 2:30PM).
• Food and Drug Administration: Commissioner Robert Califf appears before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (on Thursday, at 9AM).

National Defense Authorization Act: The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have both announced their target markup dates for the FY2025 NDAA:

• House: HASC aims to hold the Committee-level markup on May 15, with the expectation that Subcommittee-level markups will be completed the week of May 6.
• Senate: SASC aims to begin the Committee-level markup on June 12, at 2:30PM, which will continue on June 13 (beginning at 9AM) and, as required, on June 14 (beginning at 9AM). Subcommittee-level markups are expected to occur on June 11 and 12.

NDAA-related hearings continue this week in the House and Senate:

• Department of the Air Force: Secretary Frank Kendall, Chief of Staff General David Allvin, and Chief of Space Operations General B. Chance Saltzman appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee (on Tuesday, at 9:30AM) and House Armed Services Committee (on Wednesday, at 10AM).
• Department of the Army: Secretary Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George appear before the House Armed Services Committee (on Tuesday, at 10AM) and Senate Armed Services Committee (on Thursday, at 9:30AM).
• Department of Defense energy, installations, and environment programs: The Assistant Secretaries of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment appear before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness (on Tuesday, at 3PM).
• Fixed-wing tactical and training aircraft programs: Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Andrew Hunter, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition Nickolas Guertin, Department of Defense Operational Test and Evaluation Director Douglas Schmidt, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Plans and Programs Lt. Gen. Richard Moore, Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Aviation Lt. Gen. Bradford Gering, Air Force F-35 Program Executive Officer Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, and Navy Air Warfare Division Director Rear Admiral Michael Donnelly appear before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces (on Tuesday, at 3:30PM).
• Seapower and Projection Forces: Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition Nickolas Guertin, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities Vice Admiral James Pitts, and Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Combat Development and Integration Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl appear before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces (on Wednesday, at 3PM).
• Army modernization: Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Douglas Bush, U.S. Army Futures Commanding General James Rainey, and Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich appear before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland (on Wednesday, at 4PM).

Oversight: Several notable oversight-related hearings are lined up this week, including:

• Biden Administration’s trade policy agenda: U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai appears before the House Ways and Means Committee (on Tuesday, at 10AM) and Senate Finance Committee (on Wednesday, at 10AM) for annual oversight hearings on the Administration’s trade policy agenda.
• U.S. Postal Service: Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Board of Governors Chairman Roman Martinez IV, Postal Regulatory Commission Chairman Michael Kubayanda, and Inspector General Tammy Hull appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (on Tuesday, at 10AM).
• Columbia University’s response to antisemitism: Columbia University President Minouche Shafik and Board of Trustees Co-Chairs Claire Shipman and David Greenwald appear before the House Education and Workforce Committee (on Wednesday, at 10:15AM).
• Biden Administration’s pause on liquefied natural gas exports: Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Brad Crabtree appears before the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs (on Thursday, at 9AM).
• Federal housing regulators: Acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Adrianne Todman and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson appear before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee (on Thursday, at 10AM).