Speaker McCarthy Reverses Pledge to Remove Ukraine Funding

Plus: Is the GOP too polite?

Speaker McCarthy Reverses Pledge to Remove Ukraine Funding

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy initially pledged to remove $300 million in Ukraine aid from the Pentagon funding bill but on Saturday he said he has now reversed his decision. He cited difficulty in removing the earmarked money for Kyiv from another bill that funds State Department and Foreign Operations. McCarthy's earlier promise to strip Ukraine funding from the Pentagon bill came after five Republicans opposed a procedural vote on the Department of Defense spending measure, causing disappointment for McCarthy, who sought to avoid a government shutdown.

From The Hill:

The House next week is set to take a single procedural vote to advance four appropriations bills, including ones that fund the Pentagon and the State Department and Foreign Operations.

“That’s not solving it, because one of the others has some Ukraine things,” McCarthy said of stripping the Ukraine aid out of the Pentagon appropriations bill. “So it became too difficult to do that, so we’re leaving it in.”

The House, however, will vote on amendments to strike the Ukraine aid from both the Pentagon and State Department and Foreign Operations spending bills, Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) said. But those votes may not take place if lawmakers block the measures from being debated.

McCarthy’s decision to leave Ukraine aid in the pair of appropriations bills will likely spark opposition from [Marjorie Taylor] Greene, who opposed a procedural vote to advance the Pentagon appropriations bill Thursday because it included the funding for Kyiv. The congresswoman has come out against sending additional money to Ukraine.

RELATED: 28 Republicans Reject Biden Administration’s Demands To Fund Indefinite Proxy War In Ukraine (The Federalist)

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