Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said Sunday that he’s “confident” that the House will vote on aid for
Ukraine after the Easter recess ends, pointing to private conversations with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Johnson has so far refused calls to bring a Ukraine aid bill to the floor for a vote, despite bipartisan for the country against a
Russian invasion. “I believe there will be a vote when we get back from the Easter recess,” Lawler said in a
CNN “State of the Union” interview with Dana Bash on Sunday. “Certainly, this is critically important for our allies. We are the leader of the free world, and we cannot shirk on our responsibility to uphold and defend democracies across the globe.” Lawler is among the sponsors for the bipartisan , a package which would provide funding for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel as well as greenlight funding for certain border security measures. It has received some support from both parties, but does not have the backing of either party leadership in the House. The congressman said that he believes Johnson will move forward on a vote for his bipartisan bill, or an “amended version” of it, in the coming days. “I have spoken to him directly,” Lawler said of Johnson. “I’m not going to delve into the details of that conversation, but I am confident that he is going to bring a bill to the floor and that we will have a vote.” Johnson has emphasized his , but has refused to bring aid bills to the floor. The conflict underscores GOP divisions over Ukraine aid, as conservative factions of the party threaten to oust him over a potential vote. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Johnson from his Speakership just before the recess, adding that she will make the motion privileged and force a vote if Ukraine aid is introduced. Meanwhile, numerous
Democrats have stated , backing Johnson, if he moves forward on Ukraine aid. Lawler said he is not concerned with efforts to oust Johnson. “He understands the responsibility that we have. Look,
China,
Russia and
Iran are not our
Friends. They’re not our allies. They are seeking to undermine and destabilize the free world and undermine the
United States economically at every turn,” he said. “And so we need to push back. We need to support our allies. And if Ukraine were to fall and Russia successful in this endeavor, that would have a catastrophic impact on Eastern Europe.”