Congresswoman Carol Miller, R-W.Va., says she supports each part of a foreign aid package — and she supports the continued leadership of House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is at risk of losing that position over a portion supporting Ukraine.
Johnson has proposed several inter-connected bills — one each for aid to Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies and another that includes policies to require TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell the popular social media network or face a ban in the U.S.
More recently, Johnson proposed a fifth stand-alone bill to address widespread Republican demands to strengthen the southern U.S. border.
Elements of the foreign aid package have been swirling for months. President Joe Biden last October proposed a $106 billion package including aid for Ukraine and Israel and additional financial support for border security. In February, a majority of the U.S. Senate voted in favor of aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
In the House, disagreement among Republicans on support for Ukraine has put the speaker’s leadership role on the line. Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has repeatedly threatened to oust the speaker, who has a historically thin majority. Others like Congressman Thomas Massie, R-Ky., have expressed support for toppling the speaker.
Nevertheless, votes on the bills could come by this Saturday.
Miller, who represents counties in the southern half of West Virginia, said she supports each of the bills in the package — plus keeping Johnson on the job.
“The world’s hair is on fire,” Miller said on MetroNews’ “Talkline,” describing urgency. “We are in crazy times. And if you are a student of history and you start looking back to what was going on in the 30s, it’s kind of spooky how this is all kind of coming back to fruition.”
West Virginia’s other congressman, Republican Alex Mooney, said the federal government should put border security first.
“Our border is overrun with drugs, criminals, and terrorists flooding into the U.S. President Biden is allowing it to happen. The House has already passed H.R. 2. The focus should be on providing real border security measures before funding the border security of other nations,” Mooney, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said in a statement provided by his office.
Miller indicated she supports the bill for Ukraine, which has faced dwindling arms and ammunition in its fight against Russian encroachment.
“So I do support replenishing our munitions, which would then enable Ukraine to have munitions that are not as current as the ones that we’ll be putting forward now,” Miller said.
Miller said she supports Israel, which has been embroiled in Gaza ever since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and then was targeted last weekend by a drone and missile strike from Iran.
“I absolutely, 100 percent support Israel. They are our ally. They are the democracy in the Middle East. They are God’s chosen people and God’s chosen land,” Miller said.
On the support for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies, Miller referred to Chinese aggression. “Look at China. Look at the countries that are all — it’s an evil axis. And yes, China is ever-present. And what they want to do to Taiwan — they’ve just been waiting.”
On the TikTok bill, Miller was critical of the social media platform. “TikTok is a tool of the communist party. The Chinese are very, very clever. The bill is very narrow. It targets the national security threats that they do,” Miller said.
“This is national security from the very, very ground up.”
Miller stood by Johnson when he was named speaker on Oct. 25.
She still stands by him, she said today.
“He is such a fine man, and I was in prayer with him this morning, in a prayer group,” Miller said. “He is doing the best he can in a very closely divided Congress. He is trying to do the right thing for the American people.”