While many House Republicans voted against a recent foreign aid bill funneling tens of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, a number of Democratic lawmakers were so excited for the opportunity to pass the bill that they began waving Ukrainian flags in the chamber over the weekend.
The display of foreign flags received significant pushback from the right, including Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), who confirmed she would be introducing a bill to ban any such displays in the future.
Watching American representatives pass out & wave Ukrainian flags in the United States House of Representatives chamber infuriated me. As we speak, my team is drafting legislation that will prohibit the display of foreign nations’ flags on the House floor.
If there is one room… pic.twitter.com/BcIKP5CDou— Kat Cammack (@Kat_Cammack) April 20, 2024
Another GOP lawmaker, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, sought to highlight the issue by posting a video to X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, on Saturday. Days later, House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland reportedly confronted him and threatened to levy a $500 fine if he did not delete the post.
Massie addressed the development on the same platform, pointing a finger at House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who pushed for the foreign aid bill’s passage.
“Mike Johnson really wants to memory hole this betrayal of America,” the Kentucky Republican asserted.
Of course, Johnson, who also criticized the display of Ukrainian flags on the House floor, also weighed in on the matter involving Massie, explaining that he had discussed the issue with McFarland.
“I do not agree with this assessment and there will be no fine imposed on Rep. Massie,” the speaker confirmed.
A number of replies to Johnson’s post expressed skepticism about his stance, including one prominent social media pundit who suggested he only took action on behalf of Massie “because of the outrage over it on social media.”
Massie has been among his party’s most vocal critics of Johnson’s support for the controversial Ukraine aid package.
He has even signaled support for a fledgling effort to vacate the speakership, which would force Johnson out of the leadership position in much the same way that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted last year.
“He should pre-announce his resignation (as [former Speaker John] Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP speaker,” Massie wrote in a social media post earlier this month.
