Kevin McCarthy reportedly agreed to spending caps that would limit future aid to Ukraine as part of the deal with ultraconservatives that enabled him to finally be elected as House speaker on Saturday.
Mr McCarthy, a Republican, secured the position in the early hours, following a historic five-day 15-vote fight that brought Washington to a standstill.
His Right-wing opponents from the chamber's Freedom Caucus, dubbed the “Taliban 20”, wielded their opposition to US aid for Kyiv as part of their justification for voting against him in the first 14 votes.
Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, one of the most hardline aid sceptics, led the charge against Mr McCarthy’s candidacy for speaker before eventually yielding after an extraordinary confrontation in the chamber.
In scenes shown on live television, Mr McCarthy walked over to Mr Gaetz after the failed 13th vote to beg him to change his mind. Rebuffed, he walked away only for a scuffle to break out behind him as another Republican Congressman, Mike Rogers, lunged at Mr Gaetz.
As he accepted the gavel in the early hours of Saturday, Mr McCarthy, who was backed by former president Donald Trump, outlined the Republicans' aggressive lines of attack ahead of the 2024 presidential race.
He vowed to "pass bills to fix the nation's challenges, from the wide open southern border to 'America last' energy policies, to woke indoctrination in our schools."
The election bid by Mr McCarthy, 57, who has served as Minority House Leader since 2019, marked the first time in a century that voting for a speaker has gone beyond one round.
Finally able to take the oath of office, Mr McCarthy swore in newly elected lawmakers who had been waiting all week for the chamber to formally open and the 2023-24 session to begin.
But his protracted fight foreshadowed how difficult it would be for him to govern with an exceedingly narrow majority and an unruly hard-Right faction bent on slashing spending and disrupting business in Washington.
According to reports, to end the impasse, Mr McCarthy agreed a deal that the House would commit to passing bills that would cap all discretionary defence spending at 2022 financial year levels, meaning roughly $1.47 trillion. Congress has passed four emergency supplementals totalling more than $100 billion since Russia’s invasion in February.
President Joe Biden will require Congress to approve any additional military aid later this year. Should one of the rebel lawmakers - who have vowed to oppose any further aid packages - be given leadership roles in the House Rules Committee it could create immense hurdles to passing additional assistance legislation.
The most recent $45 billion package agreed by Congress will not be affected by the new House leadership.
“Haemorrhaging billions in taxpayer dollars for Ukraine while our country is in crisis is the definition of America last,” Mr Gaetz said last month as to why he had stood against Mr McCarthy.
Matt Rosendale of Montana, another holdout, recently voted against US support for Ukraine, citing what he said were more pressing security needs along the southern border with Mexico.
“This is a harbinger for a protracted legislative paralysis,” one diplomat warned, telling CNN that “the Freedom Caucus – which is not particularly pro-Ukrainian – has just demonstrated its clout.”
Another expressed concern about “the policy concessions McCarthy has to make, and if they are going to affect the US role in the world.”
Mr McCarthy shrugged off suggestions that the concessions could weaken his power.
"That gives me no problem or concern whatsoever," he told reporters, describing his deal with critics as a "very good" agreement that "empowers the members".
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/kevin-mccarthy-agreed-to-cut-aid-to-ukraine-to-secure-us-speaker-role/ar-AA1644R8....
I don't pay enough attention to US politics, to know if ukraine funding was a bargaining chip in Kevin McCarthy being voted in after 15 separate voting rounds. (The most voting rounds required to confirm a speaker, in more than a century) I'm not even certain if negotiations behind the scenes are accurately disclosed and reported by the media. I would assume at least some of the claims are rumor mill content.
The economic and financial implications if this turns out to be accurate, however. Could carry a few long term repercussions for europe. It is known that the united states provided the vast majority of funding and resources to support ukraine during the russian invasion. If that support is lost, europe would have to significantly increase ukraine support as a function of core GDP. Which could have some negative consequences.
Of course, there is also a chance that these rumors will be unfounded and US support of ukraine will continue onwards the same as always.
