(NewsSpace.com) – Over the past weekend, the House managed to come to an agreement and pass four bills, three of them centering on foreign aid. While House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) battled with some of the hardliners in his party, another representative, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), rallied Democrats and is credited with achieving success in passing the aid packages. He’s earned the nickname “Shadow Speaker” for his efforts.
The aid packages have been held up in Congress for months, amid infighting in the Republican Party. However, as time wore on, it became clear that Jeffries, and Democrats, actually held all the power. They repeatedly crossed the aisle to work with Republicans when it became clear that Johnson wouldn’t have the votes he needed to bring the package to the floor for a vote. It was a strategic move by both Jeffries and his party.
House Democrats, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), were quick to praise Jeffries. According to Axios, one unnamed Democrat said the minority leader is “the one who created the system that Johnson could follow and get his done.” His message to his party was reportedly to unify behind him. Jeffries advised his colleagues not to box themselves into a position, including committing themselves to saving Johnson. He worked with Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), a centrist, and “finessed it well when he had to,” according to Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL).
On Sunday, April 21, the House managed to pass four bills. Three of them were aid packages to help foreign allies, Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan. All in all, it totaled $95 billion, at least $13 billion of which will go toward restocking US munitions. The vote for Ukraine aid, which is approximately $61 billion, was the most contentious, passing 311 to 112, a move which ired many hardliners. The bills for Israel and the Indo-Pacific passed 366 to 58 and 385 to 34, respectively.
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