WASHINGTON (NEWSnet/AP) — Defiant and determined, House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back Tuesday against increasing Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies.

This included rejecting a call from some to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office.

“I am not resigning,” Johnson said after a testy morning meeting of fellow House Republicans at the Capitol.

Tuesday brought a definitive shift in tone from both the House Republicans and the speaker himself at a time when the House leader tries to marshal the votes needed to send along the stalled national security aid package. 

In recent days, Johnson has spoken both with President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump, who is the leading candidate for the Republican party in the Nov. 5 election. He has also spoken with other congressional leaders

Johnson’s plan is to face the foreign aid package – which the Senate combined into one bill – into separate votes for the House and then present the entire list to the president for signature. This would allow members who have objections over one or the other request to take their stance, in hopes of still getting enough votes to pass it all.

This plan would likely need the support of Democrats to help pass it.

Democrat leaders in the House and Senate are refraining from comment until they see the actual text of the measure, expected sometime Tuesday.

House Republicans, however, were livid that Johnson will be setting aside another of their priorities — efforts to impose more security at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., called Tuesday morning's meeting an “argument fest,” and that Johnson was “most definitely’’ losing support for the plan.

The speaker also still faces a threat of ouster from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., the top Trump ally who has filed a motion to vacate the speaker via vote.

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