Mike Johnson rolls the dice

​Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to the media at the US Capitol in Washington, April 17, 2024.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to the media at the US Capitol in Washington, April 17, 2024.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday announced plans to move forward with a vote on several foreign aid bills, defying hardline Republicans and potentially sparking a vote to oust him.

Final votes are expected on Saturday. The bills, which would provide assistance to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel, have been held up for months amid staunch opposition to further aid for Kyiv from a large cohort of Republicans.

With a razor-thin majority in the House, Johnson needs support from Democrats for the bills to pass, putting him at odds with the more extreme wing of his party. GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia – an ally of former President Donald Trump, who vehemently opposes more aid to Ukraine – has filed a motion to remove Johnson as speaker and could force a vote on it in response to this latest move. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) joined Greene’s push earlier this week.

Johnson also said a vote will be held on a bill for increased border security in an apparent attempt to throw a bone to the ultraconservative Republicans threatening his job. But it doesn’t seem to have worked as GOP lawmakers are already complaining that the bill doesn’t tie Ukraine aid to border security.

The aid package is still “likely to pass, one way or another,” says Clayton Allen, Eurasia Group’s US director, and GOP lawmakers like Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida “and the rest of the far right seem to know it.”

“For Johnson, it’s a choice of the lesser of two evils: face an impossible task of keeping his conference happy or take the plunge and hope he can survive a challenge to his position through a tenuous alignment with Democrats,” says Clayton.

“That he’s even considering the latter would be beyond the pale for a Republican speaker normally, but if the last six months have shown us anything, it’s that this Congress – or at least this Republican conference – is anything but normal.”

More from GZERO Media

As you start checking off everyone on your holiday shopping list, it’s important to remember that more online shopping means more opportunities for cyber scams. But don’t let the Grinch steal your holiday cheer! It’s time to make a list of essential cybersecurity tips — and check it twice — to ensure a safe and merry shopping experience. Unwrap some festive tips to keep your holiday season jolly and scam-free.

Listen: Donald Trump has promised to fix what he calls a broken economy and usher in a “golden age of America.” He’s vowed to implement record tariffs, slash regulation, and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. But what will that mean practically for America’s economic future? On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer is joined by Oren Cass, founder and chief economist at the conservative think tank American Compass, to discuss Trump’s economic agenda and why Cass believes it will help American workers and businesses in the long run.

- YouTube

For almost as long as Donald Trump has been in the public eye, his economic worldview has been remarkably consistent: unfair trade deals and globalization have pumped millions into foreign economies while hurting US workers and businesses. That message resonated with voters who feel left behind by the global economy. Trump’s solution? Also very consistent: tariffs. Big ones. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down Donald Trump’s tariff plan and what it could mean for US consumers.

Protesters hold placards during a candlelight vigil to condemn South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's surprise declarations of the failed martial law and to call for his resignation in Seoul, South Korea, December 5, 2024.
REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

On Thursday, Han Dong-hoon, the leader of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s party, said he was opposed to impeaching Yoon because it would add to national confusion. By Friday, however, he had changed his mind.

A flag is left at the event held by Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during Election Night, at Howard University, in Washington, U.S., November 6, 2024.
REUTERS/Daniel Cole
Romanian independent far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu poses for a portrait in Bucharest Romania, on Dec. 4, 2024.
REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu

Romanians head to the polls Sunday for a presidential runoff that could lead to significant foreign policy changes for the country – and profound implications for the war in Ukraine.

President-elect Donald Trump attends the 2024 Senior Club Championship award ceremony at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, back in March.
REUTERS/Marco Bello

Amid all the geopolitical chaos, the best advice of the year: Don’t panic.