Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) introduced an amendment on Wednesday that proposed that any member of Congress who votes to send aid to Ukraine must enlist to fight for Ukraine.
"Any Member of Congress who votes in favor of this Act shall be required to conscript in the Ukrainian military," the amendment reads, according to Axios's Juliegrace Brufke. Under the plan, eligible lawmakers would apparently have their choice of service branch.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced an amendment requiring members to “conscript in the Ukrainian military” if they vote for the Ukraine supplemental bill. pic.twitter.com/n0SykKpA3I
— Juliegrace Brufke (@juliegraceb) April 17, 2024
I thought it was a joke, but, no. It's a protest against the foreign aid bills that Speaker Johnson is bringing forward. He is separating the aid bills into three to include one for Ukraine, one for Israel, and one for Taiwan. MTG opposes continued support for Ukraine.
Johnson also plans to bring border legislation and a sanctions package to the floor.
This move comes after MTG threatened to create total chaos in the House and file a motion to vacate Johnson from the speaker's post last month. She has been joined by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). He, too, is frustrated about foreign aid.
I mean if you want to fund the war, why don’t you go fight in it.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) April 18, 2024
Show your support for Ukraine. https://t.co/J7JIvJgji5
That is a non-serious response to a serious question. MTG is not a serious lawmaker. She's a bomb-thrower. She craves attention. She's lost the plot on her service to her constituents. Her actions shouldn't be about creating headlines for herself.
She's entitled to vote against aid to Ukraine if she thinks that is what the people who sent her to Congress want her to do. She is one of many lawmakers, though, her vote doesn't count more than the others.
Speaker Johnson has come up with a plan to bring the aid up for a vote and some Republicans are angry that he is moving forward.
Earlier on Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) put forward his plan to pass foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as other defense measures, after months of gridlock. The plan is to combine all four bills into a single rules bill before bringing them to the floor for individual votes. After that, the bills that are passed will be combined into a single piece of legislation to be voted on in the Senate, according to several lawmakers.
Republicans are split on continued support going to Ukraine. Ukraine has not been transparent on how American taxpayer money is being spent. It's understandable to be frustrated by that. The Biden administration has not been forthcoming in sending billions of dollars to a corrupt government by demanding accountability. Additional support has been stalled in Congress for weeks.
Ukraine's military position has been deteriorating since last summer. The fear is that if Russia is successful, Putin will invade other countries. Some experts think he wants to invade and conquer former Soviet Union countries. It's debatable if Putin can do that. His invasion of Ukraine has not been a quick and overwhelming victory by any stretch of the imagination.
Silly non-starter amendments to foreign aid bills are not helpful. They do not show leadership. Speaker Johnson has found a way to show leadership. MTG hasn't pulled the trigger to move forward to remove Johnson. Does she think she can be Speaker of the House? That isn't going to happen. In the meantime, she beclowns herself with her moves. She was once rumored to be on the short list of Trump's vice president choices. Those rumors stopped so maybe she is lashing out now.
The last thing Republicans need is further divisions in the party going into a crucial presidential election. When push comes to shove, it's important to understand it is a choice. Does MTG choose Russia or Ukraine in their war?
Speaker Johnson: “We are going to stand for freedom and make sure that Vladimir Putin doesn't march through Europe...We have to project to Putin, Xi, and Iran, and North Korea, and anybody else that we will defend freedom.” pic.twitter.com/3H8ZY2m5NP
— Republicans for Ukraine (@GOP4Ukraine) April 17, 2024
Standalone bills are the best way to dole out foreign aid. Let Congress vote on each proposal.
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