Liam Donovan pointed out something interesting on X: Support among House Republicans for aid to Ukraine had the same total number of votes in September as it did in April.
On September 28, the House voted to approve $300 million in aid to Ukraine, and 101 Republicans voted for it. On the most recent $60.8 billion aid package to Ukraine . . . 101 Republicans voted for it. The number of Republican votes against it actually declined from 117 in September to 112 in April.
It wasn’t the same 101 Republicans, though, and there was significant movement in both directions.
Twenty-two Republicans voted for aid in September but against aid in April:
- Mark Alford (Mo.)
- Mark Amodei (Nev.)
- Kelly Armstrong (N.D.)
- James Baird (Ind.)
- Troy Balderson (Ohio)
- Jack Bergman (Mich.)
- Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.)
- Glenn Grothman (Wis.)
- Andy Harris (Md.)
- Bill Huizenga (Mich.)
- Doug LaMalfa (Calif.)
- Laurel Lee (Fla.)
- Debbie Lesko (Ariz.)
- Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.)
- Jay Obernolte (Calif.)
- John Rose (Tenn.)
- Victoria Spartz (Ind.)
- Elise Stefanik (N.Y.)
- Bryan Steil (Wis.)
- Dale Strong (Ala.)
- Tim Walberg (Mich.)
- Michael Waltz (Fla.)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (Mo.) voted for aid in September but did not vote in April. Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.) did not vote in September but voted against aid in April. Ken Buck (Colo.), Bill Johnson (Ohio), and Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) voted for aid in September but were no longer in Congress in April.
Twenty-four Republicans voted against aid in September but for aid in April:
- Vern Buchanan (Fla.)
- Michael Burgess (Texas)
- Mike Carey (Ohio)
- Buddy Carter (Ga.)
- John Curtis (Utah)
- Chuck Edwards (N.C.)
- Randy Feenstra (Iowa)
- Mike Garcia (Calif.)
- Morgan Griffith (Va.)
- Ashley Hinson (Iowa)
- Erin Houchin (Ind.)
- Mike Johnson (La.)
- Mike Kelly (Pa.)
- Darin LaHood (Ill.)
- Nick LaLota (N.Y.)
- Jake LaTurner (Kan.)
- Carol Miller (W. Va.)
- Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa)
- Nathaniel Moran (Texas)
- Gregory Murphy (N.C.)
- Zachary Nunn (Iowa)
- Greg Pence (Ind.)
- Brad Wenstrup (Ohio)
- Rob Wittman (Va.)
John Carter (Texas) and Tony Gonzales (Texas) did not vote in September and voted for aid in April. Wesley Hunt (Texas), Alex Mooney (W. Va.), and Brandon Williams (N.Y.) voted against aid in September but did not vote in April. Daniel Meuser (Pa.) voted against aid in September but voted present in April. George Santos (N.Y.) voted against aid in September and was no longer in Congress in April.
So after months of arguing between pro-Ukraine and anti-Ukraine groups, both sides persuaded a decent number of Republicans to switch their votes, but the total ended up in the same spot. “The D.C. blob fooled Republicans into supporting Ukraine” and “MAGA fooled Republicans into opposing Ukraine” are both wrong, or both right, depending on how you look at it.