Speaker Johnson hints at ‘innovations’ to advance Ukraine aid in the House

For the first time, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is hinting at a number of tweaks he would require in order to move a foreign aid bill for Ukraine through the lower chamber.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Johnson laid out the provisions he would like to see in any emerging aid proposal, which the speaker called “important innovations.” The measures floated by Johnson were related directly and indirectly to the war with Russia, including the idea of restructuring the aid as a loan repayment.

“When we return after this work period, we’ll be moving a product, but it’s going to, I think, have some important innovations,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of things we should do that make more sense, and we’re putting that product together.”

Johnson laid out the three main components he said should be included in the legislation, including a bipartisan proposal known as the REPO Act. If included, the provision would seek to seize frozen Russian assets and transfer them to the Ukrainian government to fight against the Kremlin — a move that Johnson said would be “pure poetry.”

Several lawmakers have expressed support for such an idea, noting it would provide a way to make Russia pay for its own invasion. The REPO Act passed out of committee in the Senate in January by a 20-1 vote, indicating it would have widespread support if included in the bill.

The proposal would be easier said than done as much of the frozen assets are in Europe, meaning other countries would need to agree to hand the cash over to the Ukrainian army.

Johnson also floated the idea of providing assistance to Ukraine as a loan payment that could be repaid once the war is over. Republicans, following the lead of former President Donald Trump, have previously suggested this idea on Capitol Hill over the last few weeks, with the loan possibly being structured as zero interest and forgivable.

“Even President Trump has talked about the loan concept where we’re … not just giving foreign aid, we’re setting up in a relationship where they can provide it back to us when the time is right,” Johnson said.

Johnson also hinted at the idea of approving Ukraine aid in exchange for expanding natural gas shipments — a subtle jab at the Biden administration’s recent decision to freeze the exports of liquefied natural gas exports.

Biden announced the pause on Friday, which will allow the administration to evaluate the effects on the climate and environment of exporting such a “sizable” amount of LNG. It will also allow the administration to consider the economic and national security effects of new LNG export facilities, allowing Biden to respond to political pressure to address the effects of climate change.

Republicans were quick to decry the move, arguing it would empower Russia by forcing U.S. allies to rely on its energy exports.

“We want to unleash American energy, have national gas exports that will un-fund Vladimir Putin’s war effort,” Johnson said.

The latest proposals come as congressional leaders have disagreed on how to move forward with providing foreign aid to countries such as Ukraine, with several lawmakers pushing for expedited action as the war against Russia drags on.

There are now two competing discharge petitions circulating among House lawmakers seeking to bring Ukraine aid to the floor, although neither proposal has reached the minimum support needed to advance without Johnson’s approval. However, lawmakers behind one of those petitions have expressed support for including some of Johnson’s proposals in order to get legislation moving through the House.

“We’re open to changes,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), one of the leaders on a bipartisan discharge petition to advance a foreign aid bill, told the Washington Examiner. “I also fully agree with [Johnson] that we shouldn’t just give a blank check to the White House. We should be direct about what kind of weapons we need to send.”

Bacon said he has spoken with Johnson about a path forward, noting he is “amenable” to making changes. The Nebraska Republican said he has been adamant about getting something passed as quickly as possible.

“We got to get something passed,” Bacon said. “If we don’t get this done, it’s possible that the Russians could be in Kyiv by January, and that’s unacceptable.”

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“I understand that the speaker’s got a tough field,” the congressman added, pointing to hard-line Republicans who have rejected any foreign aid bill. “But in our view … the history books are going to write about this, and we better be on the right side of it.”

Johnson has felt pressure from all sides to bring some sort of foreign aid proposal to the floor, including from his Republican colleagues in the upper chamber. The speaker has indicated he will move forward in some fashion to advance Ukraine aid when lawmakers return from recess next week.