Mike Johnson: "I want to be on the right side of history"

The New York Times on why US House Speaker Mike Johnson changed his mind on aid to Ukraine.

Previously, he refused to submit a bill on assistance to Ukraine, but after familiarizing himself with intelligence data and evidence of crimes of the Russian Federation, writes publication, changed his mind.

In the weeks following the Senate's passage of a massive aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Johnson struggled with how to get the bill through the House without losing his job.

He met with national security officials, including William Burns, director of the CIA, to discuss classified intelligence. He repeatedly met with different groups of Republicans and examined the attitude of their constituents towards financing Ukraine. And finally, when his plan to work with the Democrats ran into sharp opposition from ultra-conservatives who were already threatening to overthrow him, Johnson, an evangelical Christian, knelt and prayed… The head of the Foreign Relations Committee, Michael McCall, remembers him saying: “I I want to be on the right side of history.”

Johnson's decision to risk the speakership to push the foreign aid bill through the House marked the culmination of his personal and political evolution. A week ago, he told reporters at the Capitol:

“History judges us for what we do. Now is a critical time. I could have made a selfish decision and done something else. But I am here doing what I think is right. I believe that providing lethal assistance to Ukraine is critical now.” .

Johnson himself attributes his change of position partly to intelligence he received:

“I really believe this information. I think Vladimir Putin would continue to march around Europe if he was allowed. I think he might go after the Baltics next. I think he might have a fight with Poland or one of our NATO allies.” .

In an Oval Office discussion in February, when congressional leaders met with Joe Biden to discuss government funding and aid to Ukraine, Burns and other national security officials tried to convince Johnson of how quickly Ukraine was running out of ammunition and how dire the consequences would be. if Ukrainian air defense is no longer reinforced by American weapons.

The speaker was struck by the stories he heard during meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and others about the scale of suffering inflicted by Russian troops on Ukraine. All of this influenced Mike Johnson's sense of Christian faith. During a brief meeting with lawmakers, Johnson “made it pretty clear that if we don't do this[approving aid to Ukraine]in April, it might be too late for Ukraine,” recalls Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican.

On Saturday, the US House of Representatives approved bill on foreign aid for Ukraine. 311 members of the lower house of the US Congress voted in favor, 112 voted against. The project was promised to be submitted to the Senate for consideration as amendments to the US international assistance bill HR.815, which was adopted in February. This should simplify the procedure for approving the package in the Senate. Democratic Majority Leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer said that the bill will be voted on on Tuesday, April 23. US President Joe Biden promised to immediately sign the adopted draft.

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said House Speaker Mike Johnson “betrayed” Republican voters after lawmakers approved new aid to Ukraine and should resign. This was reported on Sunday, April 21 CNN. She said that if Johnson does not do this voluntarily, she will bring the issue to a vote.

“Mike Johnson's tenure is over. He needs to do the right thing – resign and allow us to move forward in a controlled process. If he doesn't, he will be fired,” Greene said. And she added that she is not the only one who holds this position.

“If Greene and her supporters follow through on their threat to force a vote to remove him as speaker, Johnson will almost certainly have to rely on Democrats to save him,” the newspaper writes.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, allows long-range ATACMS missiles and other weapons to be sent to Ukraine by the end of the week.

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