Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson has indicated that his position on the aid bill, the text of which has already appeared on the House website, was influenced by a conversation with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a report by CIA Director Bill Burns.
This was reported by CNN.
It is noted that the day after Iran's attack on Israel, Speaker Johnson spoke on the phone with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
CNN cited a source saying that he was "...ready to act on foreign aid, even though that would enrage Republicans who did not support additional assistance to Ukraine and could potentially cost him his job."
On Monday, when Johnson returned to Washington, D.C., he faced pressure from many of his GOP colleagues. CNN reports that he quickly began to hear criticism from hardline conservatives, realizing that his risky gambit with separate votes on aid - and later combining those bills into one package without including conservative demands for tougher border policy - could provoke an early vote on his resignation as Speaker.
It is added that on Tuesday, Speaker Johnson met with representatives of his church, the Southern Baptist Convention. This contributed to new reflections on what to do next.
"He was torn between trying to save his job and do the right thing," said House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, a Ukraine supporter who was with Johnson the night before the law was unveiled.
However, on Wednesday, Johnson finally confirmed his convictions. CNN notes that this change in Johnson's position was also due to the fact that he began to hear directly the critical voices of Republicans on national security issues, including Donald Trump’s former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who convinced him of the urgent need to approve aid to Ukraine.
CNN also recalls how the Speaker of the US House of Representatives received a key intelligence briefing from CIA Director Bill Burns, which described "...picture of the dire situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and the global consequences of inaction." It is noted that this information also had a significant impact on Johnson's decision.
Earlier, we reported that the U.S. House of Representatives published the text of a bill on military aid to Ukraine.