Quick Hit: 

Speaker Mike Johnson has announced that the House of Representatives will move to provide more funding to Ukraine once Congress reconvenes in Washington D.C. The move comes after Republicans previously blocked a $118 billion aid package, arguing it did not sufficiently address the ongoing border crisis.

Key Details: 

• Speaker Johnson has been working to build consensus on a supplemental national security and foreign aid package.
• The aid package is expected to include some "important innovations" and will be moved right after the district work period.
• Johnson highlighted three specific proposals for aid to Ukraine, including the REPO Act, a loan concept, and the export of American natural gas.

Diving Deeper: 

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has indicated that the House of Representatives will act swiftly to provide more funding to Ukraine once Congress is back in session. The House is currently on a two-week recess, with lawmakers working in their home districts. Johnson has been working to build consensus on a supplemental national security and foreign aid package, which he suggests will include some significant changes from previous attempts.

The move to provide more aid to Ukraine comes after Republicans previously blocked a $118 billion aid package, arguing it did not go far enough to address the ongoing border crisis. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and President Biden have been pressuring Johnson to take up a slimmer $95 billion package without border measures. However, Johnson has been using the aid package as leverage to force changes on the border.

Johnson highlighted three specific proposals for aid to Ukraine. The first is the REPO Act, introduced in the House last year, which would liquidate seized Russian assets and send that as assistance to Ukraine. The second is a loan concept, where aid to Ukraine would be in the form of a loan, with Kyiv paying Washington back if they win the war against Russia. The third proposal involves the export of American natural gas, which Johnson believes will help unfund Vladimir Putin's war effort.

Despite the bipartisan push for more aid to Ukraine, Johnson is facing criticism from a small faction on his right flank for supporting Ukraine aid at all. However, with the situation in Kyiv growing increasingly dire, the pressure to provide more aid is mounting.