Seeking ‘the right side of history,’ President Mike Johnson risks his job to provide aid to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Faced with a decision so momentous it could alter the course of history — but also end his own career — House Speaker Mike Johnson prayed for guidance.

A conservative Christian, the speaker debated whether to lead the House in approving $95 billion in desperately needed war aid to Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies , which many members of his own Republican majority opposed — some so strongly that they reportedly tried to boot. him from the office.

Or he could do nothing, stop the flow of American aid and potentially save his own job, but secure his place as Speaker of the House who led America’s withdrawal from the world stage and left the Ukraine stood on its own as it lost ground to the Russian invasion. .

As Johnson met with his colleagues late at night this week at the president’s office, they prayed about it.

“And then he told me the next day: I want to be on the right side of history,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

In less than six months on the job, Johnson’s leadership will help determine whether the United States is able to maintain its position as a “beacon of light” for the world, or whether military and humanitarian aid must collapse. a pivotal moment for the country, its allies and the speaker’s livelihood. The vote is scheduled for this weekend.

“He’s learning,” said Newt Gingrichthe former Republican House Speaker.

Gingrich praised Johnson for not being intimidated by far-right Republicans seeking to remove him from office, and for instead tapping into his own deeply held beliefs as a Ronald Reagan-era Republican with a vision expanded role of the United States, its allies and its own presidency in making a decision.

“This is the United States House. This is not a political playground,” Gingrich said. “We are talking about the real story, we are talking about the possibility of Russia occupying Ukraine.”

Johnson burst into the president’s office last fall, a relative unknown who emerged only after a chaotic search within the party to replace him. Kevin McCarthywho was the first speaker in American history to be expelled from office.

An almost accidental speaker, Johnson had no training and little time to prepare. One of his major accomplishments was helping lead Donald Trump’s unsuccessful legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

From the start, the question looming over the Louisiana lawmaker’s fourth term was obvious: Would Johnson become a fluent speaker with the gavel, wielding the power of the office that is second in line to the president?

Or might the Speaker of the House, who presents himself as a “servant leader” in the Christian tradition, be beholden to the undisciplined and essentially ungovernable Republican majority, many of whom are aligned with former President Trump.

“It’s a Churchill or Chamberlain moment,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, referring to Britain’s World War II-era leaders.

After months of dithering on aid to Ukraine, Johnson this week seemed determined to move beyond the far-right populist flank and count on Democrats to move the package forward, highly unusual in a deeply-punished House. polarized.

He recently met with Trump, who opposes all foreign aid and called on Russia to “do whatever it wants” in Ukraine, laying out its plan and avoiding public criticism from the former president.

Trump also gave Johnson needed support by stifling efforts by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the presidential candidate’s strongest allies in Congress, to expel the president.

In return, Johnson told Trump he could be the “most important president ever” if returned to the White House.

At the same time, Johnson spoke privately with President Biden, who gave Johnson a boost by quickly approving his foreign aid plan.

Yet what was once considered the way Congress worked, the shared commitment to bipartisan compromise, has become such a political liability that more Republicans, including Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona, said they would join Greene’s ouster efforts. Johnson. Others said he should just resign.

“I don’t think he’s brave. I think he lined up exactly with the swamp,” said Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., a hard-liner who voted to oust McCarthy and is considering the same for Johnson.

During his short tenure as president, Johnson made a habit of calling lawmakers behind closed doors into his Capitol office for often lengthy meetings. What some see as maddening sessions of endless arguing, reducing the president’s power, others appreciate that he listens to lawmakers.

As crowds of spring tourists filed past his office this week, Johnson locked in with lawmakers. A meeting lasted until midnight. The next day he showed unusual determination.

“History judges us for what we do,” Johnson said during an impromptu news conference at Statuary Hall.

“I could make a selfish decision and do something different, but I’m doing what I believe is the right thing here,” he said.

Johnson revealed that his son will be heading to the Naval Academy this fall.

“To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys,” he said.

“This is a live-fire exercise for me, as it is for many American families. It’s not a game. It’s not a joke.”

As the threat of his dismissal intensifies, Johnson said he would “let the stakes fall where they may” on his own work.

On Friday, an overwhelming majority of the House, more than 300 lawmakers, more Democrats than Republicans, voted to pass the package.

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said of Johnson: “I, for one, am just very proud of what we would all call a profile of courage in the face of these kinds of threats. »

But Democrats said they were baffled and saddened that it took Johnson so long to do what they view as the right thing.

“This is an overdue profile,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

Some Democrats say that, in contrast to their refusal to help McCarthy stay in office, they would vote to save Johnson’s job — if he wanted to.

A growing list of Republican House speakers, starting with Gingrich, have been forced out of office or, like John Boehner and Paul Ryan, simply left office early.

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Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.