A U.S. House vote on Ukraine aid is unlikely until at least mid-April, and possibly later, as Speaker Mike Johnson is still looking for ways to soften resistance from hardliners among Republicans, Bloomberg reports, citing multiple party leadership officials, UNN reports.
Details
Johnson raised expectations of swift action in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, saying that the House of Representatives would begin helping Ukraine "immediately" when lawmakers return next week after a two-week Easter recess.
However, as cited by party officials, Johnson's team has not shared any detailed plan for the aid package with Republican lawmakers and does not appear to have identified what concessions he will insist on from the Biden administration, making it difficult for him to gain support in time for next week's vote.
In an interview with Fox News, the speaker said he would add new conditions to the aid. These conditions could include converting the aid into a loan that Ukraine would eventually be required to repay, confiscation of Russian assets as compensation, and lifting the Biden administration's moratorium on new liquefied natural gas export licenses, Johnson said. In a statement on Tuesday, the Biden administration rejected a deal to provide aid to Ukraine conditional on lifting the moratorium on LNG exports.
Johnson's spokesman, Taylor Halsey, said the speaker's promise of swift action was not intended to set a specific time frame, and that Johnson was "polling members" across the party on the plan. Golsey declined to elaborate on the speaker's consultations.
Two Republican leadership officials said that from a logistical standpoint, Johnson could still make a decision on the relief plan over the weekend and fast-track the legislation next week. But this accelerated timetable could risk the legislation's failure, as well as further discontent with hardliners in the Republican Party.
Addendum
In February, the US Senate passed a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, but Johnson refused to hold a vote on it.