Mike Johnson received enough congressional votes on January 3 to retain his position.
The President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky congratulated Mike Johnson on his re-election to the position of Speaker of the House, and representatives of the 119th convocation of the US Congress at the start of the session. On Friday, January 3, Zelensky published a corresponding statement online.
“Congratulations to the 119th Congress of the United States as it begins its first legislative session, and to Mike Johnson on his election as Speaker of the House of Representatives,” the president wrote.
Zelensky noted that bicameral and bipartisan support from the US Congress allowed Ukraine to save thousands of lives and prevent the capture of many cities by Russian invaders.
“Together with all friends of freedom in Congress, we have shown that the courage of the Ukrainian people, together with American leadership, can effectively deter Russian aggression. It is critical to global stability that Congress continues to stand , and both parties and all Congressmen who truly value freedom, united to defend human and democratic values.
The future decisions of the House of Representatives can play an important role in achieving real and lasting peace. The Ukrainian people are very grateful to the Congress and the American people, of which he is a representative, for their continued support,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Zelensky wished Speaker Johnson “good luck in his very important work.”
In his second attempt, Mike Johnson got the required number of votes – 218. In the first vote, he got 216 votes. At least three Republicans voted against Johnson.
He was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives on October 25, 2023. Johnson became the third youngest Speaker in a century and had the least experience in Congress of any Speaker in the past 140 years.
The advocacy group Republicans for Ukraine, which works to advance the party’s support for Kyiv, gave Johnson an F grade, rating his support for Ukraine as very low.
For a long time, House Republicans led by Johnson blocked a bill that would have provided aid to Ukraine. Therefore, Ukraine has been fighting Russia for months without US support.
Let’s recall that in early December, Mike Johnson said that before the inauguration of Donald Trump, he did not plan to raise the issue of additional aid to Ukraine proposed by the White House.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.