House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is facing calls to resign after introducing a comprehensive aid bill that would send billions of dollars in aid to Israel, reports ABC News.
Johnson’s proposal aims to break the stalemate over the Senate-approved $95 billion package by creating separate foreign aid bills for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, followed by a fourth bill that would provide additional support for all three countries.
However, this approach has further strained relations within the GOP rank and file. During a GOP closed-door meeting on Wednesday, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) allegedly threatened to join Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in her efforts to remove the Speaker from office. He also suggested that Johnson should “pre-announce” his resignation to avoid a “prolonged leadership crisis,” according to the report.
“The motion will get called, and he’s going to lose more votes than Kevin McCarthy,” Massie warned, referring to Johnson’s predecessor’s multiple failed speakers votes.
In response, Johnson remained defiant, stating, “I am not resigning. And it is, in my view, an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply here trying to do our jobs.”
Johnson’s ability to pass legislation remains tenuous, with only a razor-thin Republican majority in the House. While some Democrats have signaled a willingness to bail out the Speaker to maintain stability, the rift within the GOP deepens over the foreign aid impasse.
