Maine’s two members in the U.S. House of Representatives voted Saturday to approve foreign aid for Ukraine and Taiwan while not seeing eye to eye on additional money for Israel.
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate Democrat representing Maine’s 2nd District, was also one of only five members of his party to back a separate Republican-led border security bill that failed to pass due to not receiving a two-thirds majority needed as it moved under different rules.
Golden and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a progressive Democrat representing the 1st District in southern Maine, disagreed on giving money for Israel. The $95 billion foreign aid package included separate bills giving $60 billion to Ukraine in its two-year fight against a Russian invasion, $17 billion in weapons for Israel in its six-month war with Hamas along with $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and $8.1 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region for defense against aggression from China.
Two additional bills dealt with Republican priorities to potentially ban TikTok, impose new sanctions against Iran and Russia, use seized Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine, resume border wall construction and reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy requiring asylum seekers to stay in that country while awaiting cases, among various provisions.
Every bill except for the one dealing with border security passed the House with bipartisan majorities Saturday. The House voted 215-199 to pass that last bill that fell short of the needed two-thirds support.
Golden voted in favor of all five bills, while U.S.Pingree did not support the Israel and border-related proposals. Pingree, who signed onto a letter this month urging Biden to suspend new military assistance to Israel after a military airstrike killed seven aid workers, said she has “have long supported Israel’s capacity to defend itself” through missile defense systems.
“However, after clear violations of international law in Gaza and escalating regional instability spurred by the attack on Iran’s consulate, we cannot continue to send unchecked offensive capabilities to Netanyahu’s government,” Pingree said in a statement, also calling for a “permanent ceasefire now, and immediate steps toward achieving a two-state solution.”
The House debate on several bills tied together was significant not only because of wars in multiple regions but also because the aid package has resulted in several Republicans threatening to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, for relying on Democrats to pass it, just months after hardliners ousted Kevin McCarthy.
Ahead of the votes, Golden said in an interview Friday the foreign aid proposal for Israel and Ukraine is “the last bus out of town.” He said he advocated previously for parts of the plan, such as sending about 20 percent of the Ukraine aid to the country in the form of a loan and using seized Russian assets to offset costs.
While Golden supported the border security bill, he acknowledged it would likely not pass. Golden also was disappointed it did not include a separate provision giving immigration officials the authority to immediately expel people entering the country illegally from Mexico or Canada.
Expulsion authority and the “Remain in Mexico” policy were in a measure Golden, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania, and eight other Democrats and Republicans proposed in February along with $66 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Their bipartisan effort came after Republicans — with urging from ex-President Donald Trump, who is running against Biden in November — turned on a bipartisan border package led by Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma.
But Golden’s proposal has gone nowhere since February.
Golden, a Marine veteran who is running for reelection this year in a district Trump twice carried, said coupling the expulsion and Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policies in one deal would bring turmoil at the U.S.-Mexico border “pretty much to a halt.” Migrant encounters hit a record monthly total of roughly 250,000 in December, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
“I’m going to start pushing the administration to do more,” said Golden, who voted against Biden more than any other House Democrat in 2023.
“Will we send a clear message not only to ourselves but to the entire world that we’re going to fight for democracy?” Golden asked. “A big part of that has to be taking seriously the importance of securing your borders and recognizing that without borders, you don’t have states.”
As for Johnson facing threats to his speakership from Republicans such as U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Golden said he appreciated Johnson’s remarks Wednesday on how “history judges us for what we do.”
But if Johnson wants Democratic support to remain as speaker, Golden added he will “look to him to say that.”
