(DCWatchdog.com) – In a new development boding turmoil in the GOP, a Republican congressman has declared that House Speaker Mike Johnson could lose the speakership if he allows a vote on new US military aid for Ukraine, the victim of Putin’s Russia.
The warning for Johnson has come from US Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who spoke Sunday on the NBC News program “Meet the Press.”
Bacon was questioned about the possibility of Johnson losing his leadership role due to advancing Ukraine aid.
“It’s possible, I’m not going to deny it. We have one or two people that are not team players. They’d rather enjoy the limelight, the social media,” the congressman said, cited by The Hill.
Bacon pointed out the Republican party’s extremely slim majority, which is set to narrow further to a single seat upon Representative Mike Gallagher’s (R-WI) retirement from Congress in mid-April.
“And the fact is with the one-seat majority — and we’ll end up with a three- or four-seat majority after some special elections — out of 435 people, it’s a very narrow majority,” he remarked.
“And one or two people can make this a minority. And I’m of the view you work with the team. I don’t have to get 100 percent,” the congressman added.
Speaker Johnson has communicated to lawmakers his intention to bring up Ukraine aid for consideration when Congress reconvenes in Washington in mid-April following the holiday recess.
Some conservatives who are particularly cautious about spending oppose the continuation of aid to Ukraine, a nation which was attacked by Putin’s Russia more than two years ago.
Last month, Johnson rejected a Senate-approved foreign aid package, which included $60 billion for Ukraine, due to its exclusion of border security measures. He has suggested the possibility of extending aid to Ukraine in the form of a loan.
Bacon expressed on Sunday his belief that some Democrats, aiming to avoid further dysfunction, might choose to vote present or abstain from voting on the motion.
“But it is very likely that after this Ukraine bill, we may have a standoff with the Speaker. I hope the Speaker prevails. He’s doing the right thing. It’s in our national security interest that Ukraine remains independent,” he stated.
There are indications that some House Democrats are willing to support Johnson against any attempts to remove him, contingent upon how he manages the Ukraine aid issue.
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