Speaker Johnson Navigates Competing Demands on Ukraine Aid
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Speaker Johnson faces pressure on both sides as he plans to bring up Ukraine aid legislation next week. Hardline conservatives oppose aid without border funding while Democrats demand a Senate-passed $95B bill.
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Johnson aims to thread the needle between demands, but it's unclear if he'll move the Senate bill as-is or make changes around border security and breaking it into pieces.
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Leaving out border funding risks conservative revolt against Johnson's speakership. Including it risks losing Democratic support needed to pass Ukraine aid.
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Johnson recently angered conservatives by backing a clean extension of surveillance law FISA. Some like Reps. Greene and Steube now question supporting him as Speaker.
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Some Democrats have offered to help Johnson keep his job if he puts the Senate Ukraine bill on the House floor unchanged despite conservative opposition.