Mike Johnson's Priorities: Backpay for Feds or Billions for Bombs?
Speaker Johnson, according to Newsweek, floated the possibility that federal workers might just have to suck up lost wages from a government shutdown. This is the same Congress that, under Johnson's recent leadership, swiftly approved a staggering $14.3 billion in aid to Israel in November 2023. At roughly $1.2 billion per day of the conflict, that's a speed record for funding, especially compared
to the glacial pace of domestic relief efforts. While federal families face uncertainty, wondering how to pay rent or buy groceries, our esteemed legislators—many of whom are generously supported by lobbying groups pushing for foreign military aid—somehow manage to fast-track billions. For example, Rep. Johnson himself received at least $50,000 from pro-Israel PACs, including NORPAC and
individuals associated with AIPAC, in 2022 and 2023, according to OpenSecrets.org. One might wonder if the urgency for American workers' pay matches the alacrity for aid packages (often no-strings-attached) to geopolitically 'strategic' allies.