House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) finds himself on the horns of a dilemma. And it's becoming increasingly difficult for him not to get gored.
Johnson's position as speaker is being threatened by a small group of far-right lawmakers who don't want any more American aid sent to Ukraine's government and a presidential candidate who cares more about winning than advancing U.S. interests. On the other side is Joe Biden and a plurality of Republicans who want aid for Ukraine and Israel to be passed — and quickly.
The Ukrainian army suffered a major defeat last week as Russia's numerical and material advantages began to take hold. Ukraine needs the additional aid to avoid a catastrophic defeat for the West.
And make no mistake: a Russian victory would be the worst strategic setback for the United States since the loss of Indochina to Communism. A negotiated peace with Russia and with Ukraine still intact is far preferable to a clear Russian victory.
But Ukraine doesn't stand a chance without the American aid currently tied up in Congress.
Johnson knows the Ukraine/Israel aid package would pass overwhelmingly in the House. But he doesn't want to bring it to the floor unless at least half the Republican caucus supports it. Otherwise, one of the far-right congressmen might bring an "order to vacate" the speaker's chair, setting off another ruinous round of votes looking for a speaker.
So Johnson is frozen like a deer in headlights.
“I think many of us understand the plans that are out there,” one GOP lawmaker, granted the condition of anonymity to speak freely, told CNN. “If there is a Mike Johnson plan, there aren’t any House Republicans that are aware of its existence.”
“When the chips are down in the fourth quarter, every team needs somebody who calls the play in the huddle,” the GOP lawmaker added. “Not everybody gets to bring a play and have it equally debated in the closing moments of a close game. You need a captain. Mike Johnson is our captain and it’s time for him to call the play.”
As Ukraine funding languishes in the House, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said there were “lots of conversations” in Munich about the importance of the United States’ commitment to Ukraine, while Sen. Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relation Committee, said the sense of urgency was only underscored by Navalny’s death.
“I hope it moves the needle. We shouldn’t need anything to move the needle. We got to get it done,” Cardin said. “Ukraine is in desperate need of the US aid, passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote on the floor of the United States Senate. The House needs to take up this issue immediately. Why? Because Ukraine literally needs the ammunition in order to hold Russia back.”
“So, it’s urgent and I think what’s happened here in Munich only underscores that,” he added.
The inaction on aid to Ukraine is symptomatic of the paralysis that has gripped House Republicans this year.
Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who represents a swing district in Pennsylvania, criticized Johnson and other GOP House leaders for failing to have any kind of a "plan B" before rejecting the bipartisan Senate bill.
“I think it’s fine to criticize somebody else’s work product as long as you have a better alternative,” he told CNN. “It’s not ok to criticize someone’s work and offer no alternative, especially on existential, time-sensitive matters like we’re dealing with right now.”
So much of the Republican caucus's work in the House is wrapped up in trying to make Joe Biden and the Democrats look bad that they've forgotten why they're in Washington in the first place. There's no "plan B" because opposing Biden and the Democrats is the end-all and be-all of their mission. Anything not related to that mission is ignored — or opposed.
It's the nature of hyper-partisan politics. And the speaker is trapped by his desire to govern and his need to stay in office.
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