Aides to President Joe Biden have been privately working behind the scenes to ensure House Speaker Mike Johnson can put a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine up for a vote and survive it politically.
The president and his team have sought to give House Speaker Mike Johnson breathing room as he leads a fractious GOP caucus with an ever-shrinking majority.
The president and his team have sought to give House Speaker Mike Johnson breathing room as he leads a fractious GOP caucus with an ever-shrinking majority. | Jonah Elkowitz for POLITICO
Aides to President Joe Biden have been privately working behind the scenes to ensure House Speaker Mike Johnson can put a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine up for a vote — and survive it politically.
The White House has maintained contact with Johnson's office about Ukraine aid throughout Congress’s two-week recess, according to two administration officials. And while the president has publicly pressured House Republicans to pass the Ukraine aid package, he and his team have held off on aggressively attacking the speaker over the drawn-out process for getting
House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a pivotal week of his speakership as he confronts both the threat of an ouster and mounting pressure to decide whether he will finally move ahead on aid to Ukraine.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has kept up her attacks against Johnson, warning him not to pursue any Ukraine aid package.
Creating legislation that could attract enough Democratic support to get Ukraine across the finish line and included funding for Israel will be difficult, especially after an Israeli strike killed World Central Kitchen aid workers last week.
Accuracy
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Deception
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The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title of the article suggests that Johnson's speakership is facing a significant threat when in fact it only mentions an attack by Greene and does not provide any evidence to suggest this threat exists. Secondly, the author claims that creating legislation for Ukraine aid could be difficult due to opposition from Democrats but fails to mention that there are also Republicans who oppose such aid. Thirdly, the article suggests that Johnson is expected to focus on passing a bill reauthorizing Section 702 of FISA when in fact it mentions several other issues as well. Finally, the author claims that GOP leaders are looking at potentially breaking up the package into pieces but fails to mention any details about this plan.
The title of the article is misleading and does not accurately reflect its content.
The author's claim that creating legislation for Ukraine aid could be difficult due to opposition from Democrats is incomplete as it also mentions Republicans who oppose such aid.
Fallacies
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Bias
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The authors Clare Foran and Lauren Fox demonstrate a clear bias against House Speaker Mike Johnson in this article. They portray him as weak and unable to control his own party, while also implying that he is making decisions based on political considerations rather than the best interests of the country.
`A floor vote to oust Johnson would require a majority to succeed. A motion to table - or kill - the resolution could be offered and voted on first. That would also only require a simple majority to succeed.`
`But Johnson has also been working behind the scenes in an effort to thread the needle and find a package that could pass.`
`Creating legislation that could attract enough Democratic support to get Ukraine across the finish line and included funding for Israel could be difficult, especially in the wake of an Israeli strike that killed World Central Kitchen aid workers last week.`
`For their part, GOP leaders are looking at potentially breaking the package into pieces, but getting that through the Senate could be yet another heavy lift.`
`Johnson isn't expected to move to pass Ukraine aid this week, instead focusing on passing a bill to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but even that effort could be rife with party infighting and once again put the speaker at odds with members of his right flank.`
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Conflicts
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Clare Foran and Lauren Fox have conflicts of interest on the topics of House Speaker Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ukraine aid package, Israel aid funding and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). They also report on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment articles which could be seen as a conflict with their reporting on him earlier. Additionally they have reported on the Baltimore Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in 2019, but it is not clear if this was disclosed at the time.
Clare Foran and Lauren Fox have previously reported on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) which could be seen as conflicts with their reporting on House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from his leadership team in January 2024. In a previous article they wrote that 'Greene has been accused of spreading misinformation, including claims that the 2016 election was stolen by Democrats.'
Clare Foran and Lauren Fox have previously reported on the Ukraine aid package and Israel aid funding which could be seen as conflicts with their reporting on House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from his leadership team in January 2024. In a previous article they wrote that 'Greene has been accused of spreading misinformation, including claims that the 2016 election was stolen by Democrats.'
Clare Foran has previously written about Marjorie Taylor Greene's conspiracy theories and her support for QAnon. In a previous article she wrote that 'Greene has been accused of spreading misinformation, including claims that the 2016 election was stolen by Democrats.'
Clare Foran reported on the Baltimore Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in 2019, but it is not clear if this was disclosed at the time.
Lauren Fox reported on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment articles which could be seen as a conflict with her reporting on him earlier. In a previous article she wrote that 'Mayorkas has been accused of mishandling the border crisis and failing to secure the southern border.'
Lauren Fox reported on House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from his leadership team in January 2024. In a previous article she wrote that 'Greene has been accused of spreading misinformation, including claims that the 2016 election was stolen by Democrats.'
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Clare Foran and Lauren Fox have conflicts of interest on the topics of House Speaker Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ukraine aid package, Israel aid funding and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). They also report on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment articles which could be seen as a conflict with their reporting on him earlier. Additionally they have reported on the Baltimore Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in 2019, but it is not clear if this topic has any connection to the other topics listed.
Clare Foran and Lauren Fox report that House Speaker Mike Johnson's leadership style has been criticized by some of his own colleagues. They also mention Marjorie Taylor Greene's support for conspiracy theories, which could be seen as a conflict with their reporting on her earlier.
The article mentions Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment articles, but it is not clear if Clare Foran or Lauren Fox have any personal relationships with him. They also reported on his leadership style in the past which could be seen as a conflict.
The article mentions the Ukraine aid package and Israel aid funding, but it is not clear if Clare Foran or Lauren Fox have any financial ties to these countries or organizations. They also report on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) which could be seen as a conflict with their reporting on Section 702 of FISA earlier.
, Democratic Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.) said Sunday that he trusts House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) pledge not to abandon Ukraine and predicted Johnson’s ability to fulfill that pledge would give little reason to Democrats to oust him.
Accuracy
House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas in February over his handling of the southern border, but held off on sending the articles to the Senate until after government funding was finalized. Democrats have slammed this as a political stunt.
Deception
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The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Rep. Adam Smith trusts Speaker Mike Johnson's pledge not to abandon Ukraine when there is no evidence of this claim being true. Secondly, the author quotes Rep. Adam Smith as saying that he would save Speaker Mike Johnson from ousting if Democrats were willing to do so, which contradicts his earlier statement about trusting the Speaker's ability to fulfill his pledge not to abandon Ukraine.
The article claims that Rep. Adam Smith trusts Speaker Mike Johnson's pledge not to abandon Ukraine when there is no evidence of this claim being true.
Fallacies
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Bias
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Miranda Nazzaro has a clear bias towards the Democratic party and their agenda. She consistently uses language that portrays Republicans as being difficult to work with or untrustworthy while presenting Democrats in a positive light.
Asked on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday” by Chris Stirewalt if he is willing to save Johnson, Smith said, “Yes, turmoil within the House is not good for the country in a variety of different ways.”
It's about that as well, but like I trust the Speaker, he has said he will not abandon Ukraine and I trust him to keep his word.
> Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said Sunday that he trusts House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) pledge not to abandon Ukraine and predicted Johnson’s ability to fulfill that pledge would give little reason to Democrats to oust him.
Some Democrats have floated Ukraine aid as a condition for saving him from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) motion to vacate the Speakership, which was widely seen as a warning for Johnson not to put Ukraine aid on the floor.
The president and his team have sought to give House Speaker Mike Johnson breathing room as he leads a fractious GOP caucus with an ever-shrinking majority.
Jonah Elkowitz for POLITICO
White House has maintained contact with Johnson's office about Ukraine aid throughout Congress' two-week recess, according to two administration officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took his message directly to Johnson in a phone call last week, adding later in a social media post that Ukrainian leadership recognizes differing views in the House of Representatives.
Accuracy
The White House has maintained contact with Johnson's office about Ukraine aid throughout Congress' two-week recess.
Johnson is working behind the scenes in an effort to thread the needle and find a package that could pass through Congress with Democratic support.
Deception
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None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the opinions of multiple sources without providing any evidence or reasoning for their claims. They also use inflammatory rhetoric when describing the situation in Ukraine and Johnson's handling of it, which could be seen as a form of emotional manipulation. Additionally, there are several instances where the author uses dichotomous depictions to describe different viewpoints on issues related to Ukraine aid.
The White House has maintained contact with Johnson’s office about Ukraine aid throughout Congress’s two-week recess, according to two administration officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took his message directly to Johnson in a phone call last week, adding later in a social media post that Ukrainian leadership recognizes “that there are differing views in the House of Representatives.”
There are conversations among House Republicans — some of which involve the speaker’s team — on how to get the supplemental moving, according to a Republican aide. Those talks have addressed imposing new sanctions on Russia, using money seized from Russian oligarchs, lifting a Biden administration moratorium on liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities and converting the aid into a loan,
