(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reversed his stance on the removal of $300 million in Ukrainian aid from a Pentagon spending bill, less than 24 hours after promising to do so, arguing removing so “becomes more difficult to do.”
McCarthy’s initial promise came after a humiliating setback in passing his own spending bill, facing opposition from six staunch conservatives, including his ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
The House speaker, however, claimed that there is a second funding bill for the State Department that also includes aid for Ukraine. According to Politico, McCarthy told reporters that House Republicans would need to vote on both before removing the aid through an amendment vote.
“That’s not solving it because one of the others has some Ukraine things,” McCarthy remarked, referring to throwing out the Ukrainian aid from the Pentagon appropriations bill. “So it became too difficult to do that so we’re leaving it in.”
It was not immediately clear whether the Republicans who opposed the legislation would support the bill even if the Ukrainian aid remained intact.
Regarding Greene’s stance, McCarthy acknowledged, “I think Marjorie still has a problem.”
The House speaker added that removing the funding outright is not feasible. “I think she’ll vote no on the rule if it’s in there, that’s why I was trying to solve it where everybody could be there,” McCarthy continued. “But this one, it didn’t work out.”
Meanwhile, Greene took to Twitter on Saturday to blast the House GOP leadership in response to the backtracking. “All I asked is for all Ukraine funding to be in a separate bill, so I could vote NO and others could vote YES if they chose to,” Greene said. “I guess loyalty only goes one way.. To Ukraine.”
All I asked is for all Ukraine funding to be in a separate bill, so I could vote NO and others could vote YES if they chose to.
But they refuse and want everyone to commit the sin together.
I won’t and the base will watch.
I guess loyalty only goes one way..
To Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/bUQ1QnEHk4
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 23, 2023
Just on Friday, however, McCarthy had a different tone. He assured that funding for Ukraine would be removed. “It would be out and voted on by itself,” he falsely told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Six Republicans joined the Democratic caucus to thwart the bill’s passage, with Greene defying McCarthy’s own bill.
“Instead of voting on money to defend ‘democracy’ in Ukraine, we should be voting on funding for Americans. This is the U.S. Congress, not the Ukrainian parliament,” Greene said on Twitter on Friday.
On the same day Zelenskyy visited the Capitol, I voted NO to provide $300 million for the proxy war in Ukraine.
Instead of voting on money to defend “democracy” in Ukraine, we should be voting on funding for Americans.
This is the U.S. Congress, not the Ukrainian parliament. pic.twitter.com/9AjoBxGMyw
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 22, 2023
