Cheney says it’s ‘worth’ Johnson losing Speakership to pass Ukraine aid bill

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said it’s worth it for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to pass a bill approving aid for Ukraine at the cost of his Speakership.

Cheney called on Johnson to bring a bill for Ukraine aid to the House floor during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. The Senate passed a bill approving funding for Ukraine in a vote last week — a bill Johnson had already rejected last week.

CNN’s Jake Tapper noted that Johnson could risk a motion to vacate from conservative Republicans if he brings a Ukraine bill to the House floor.

“Right, and what I would say to that is, you know, he ought to understand that it is worth it if he has to lose his Speakership in order to make sure that freedom survives, in order to make sure that the United States of America continues to play its leadership role in the world,” Cheney responded.

“You got to read what’s happening in Ukraine today, you got to read about the slaughter that’s going on. And you got to understand that we are at a turning point in the history — not just of this nation, but of the world,” she continued.

The bipartisan Senate bill passed last week includes $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion in security assistance to Israel. It also includes $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine, and $4.8 billion to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

Cheney reiterated that Johnson should take action “to help the Ukrainian people.”

“And again, he’s gonna have to explain to future generations, to his kids, to his grandkids, whether or not he did what was right, whether or not he was a force for good and aided the cause of freedom, or whether he continued down this path of cowardice and doing what Donald Trump and [Russian President Vladimir Putin] want him to do,” she said.