04/21/2024
Here is something I never expected to say: God Bless House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose change of heart and show of conscience made possible today's critically important vote by the House to extend &60 billion in desperately needed military aid to Ukraine. The vote of 311-112 was a very late in the day but nevertheless indispensable act that I hope and pray will help save Ukraine from being overrun and destroyed by the murderous dictator Vladimir Putin and a huge Russian military force that has already committed multiple war crimes including massacres, mass r**e and kidnapping of thousands of children in its efforts to destroy independent and democratic Ukraine since February 2022.
Over the past six months, Johnson refused to bring up the Ukraine aid package in the House, even though the great majority of the House both Democrats and Republicans--supported it. In behaving in that craven manner, Johnson was clearly acting at the behest of his party's and his own political master; the wannabe dictator Donald Trump, who for his own part was kissing up to his own political master and role-model, Putin. As a result of the cut off of military aid and the draining of Ukrainian resources, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians unnecessarily died and valuable land was lost.
It is not clear yet whether Trump finally gave Johnson the OK to support aid to Ukraine--calculating that it would have been bad politics for him to have Russia overrun Ukraine during the runup to the presidential election in November and figuring he can always cut off Ukraine aid once he actually comes to power. Or did a conscience-stricken Johnson finally decide to defy his master and do what was right? Whatever the case, Johnson finally stepped forward to make this happen even in the face of threats of Trumpists like Marjorie Taylor Green, Thomas Massie and Paul Gosar to force him out of his position as Speaker. If it comes to that, Democrats need to provide Johnson with the support to hold onto his office.
It should be noted that more Republicans voted not to aid Ukraine than voted for it 112-100 (the Dems supported aid to Ukraine 211-0); and, as noted, Trump can always cut off aid if, God forbid, he is elected. Therefore, saving Ukraine necessitates defeating Trump in November, just as saving democracy in America, preserving women's reproductive health, saving the environment other vital priorities, necessitates the same thing.
The stakes are enormous and the challenge is great. At least tonight, I feel some relief for Tanya's family in Kyiv, for her nephew serving in the army of Ukraine and the whole Ukrainian people, from whom Americans must learn about standing strong and refusing to succumb to the savage brutality of modern-day totalitarianism, which, sickeningly, so many Americans now see as a positive. Slava Ukraini! Let her incredibly brave struggle for freedom and human dignity, for which she has paid a terrible cost, serve to inspire and sustain us.
After months of delay at the hands of a bloc of ultraconservative Republicans, the package drew overwhelming bipartisan support, reflecting broad consensus.
