March 19, 2024 (EIRNS)—The U.S. House of Representatives is in session today and the next three days, with a March 22 deadline to prevent another government shutdown. House Speaker MIke Johnson’s schedule has the House dealing with that, then taking two weeks off, to return on April 9 to then take up funding for wars in Ukraine and Israel. He has to steer between Republicans who want all funding to Ukraine stopped, Republicans who want strict border enforcement in exchange for funding for Ukraine, and Democrats who want to force an extension of the proxy war in Ukraine, without giving up an election issue on the border.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), according to The Hill, warned last week: “The clock is ticking, and we have to get the bipartisan national security bill over the finish line before we leave town next Friday, March 22—before we leave town…. It’s reckless to do otherwise.” Former House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told CNN on the March 17 Sunday talk shows: “We cannot go home for Passover and Easter—we must have this assistance to Ukraine.” (Possibly unaware that Passover this year is two weeks after she is scheduled to get back to Washington, Pelosi rather carelessly tossed it in with Easter.)
Speaking for Johnson’s schedule, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) told “Fox News Sunday”: “We’re moving through our normal appropriations process—should be done by this Friday—after which the Speaker’s indicated he’s committed to putting this supplemental on the floor.”
