House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on Monday, following a weekend meeting with former President Donald Trump, that he is “confident” that the chamber will be able to pass legislation providing additional aid to Ukraine and Israel before the holidays.
“Israel is a top priority for the United States and supporting our ally there is critical,” Johnson said when asked about the aid packages during an event in Florida on Monday, per Axios.
He added that he had been in contact with colleagues in the Senate on his flight down to the Sunshine State.
“Ukraine is another priority,” he added. “What we’ve said is that if there is to be additional assistance to Ukraine — which most members of Congress believe is important — we have to also work on changing our own border policy.”
Under Biden, millions of migrants have crossed illegally into the U.S. after he reversed most of Trump’s enforcement policies on his first day in office.
Johnson’s statement comes after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he planned to bring an aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and potentially border security to the floor of that chamber next week, Axios reported.
He added on Monday that his Senate colleagues “recognize” that foreign aid and funding for U.S. border security “need to move together because we owe that to the American people.”
“We have a sense of urgency about this, and there are deadlines on it as well. So, I’m confident and optimistic that we’ll be able to get that done,” he said.
Previously, to the dismay of Democrats, the GOP-controlled House under Johnson passed a standalone $14.3 billion aid package for Israel, which is currently engaged in a war against Hamas, that included an equivalent amount of spending cuts for the IRS.
Late last month, in the wake of the deadly surprise attack by the terrorist organization, the GOP-led chamber overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan resolution of support for Israel, 412–10, “seeking to denounce the violence and highlighting the United States’s dedication to defending a key ally,” the Washington Examiner reported, adding that only a handful of far-left Democrats objected.
“The four-page resolution was filed earlier this month, just days after Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on Oct. 7. Six members voted present: Reps. Greg Casar (D-TX), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY),” the outlet added.
“Nine Democrats voted no: Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-MO), Andre Carson (D-IN), Al Green (D-TX), Summer Lee (D-PA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). All are associated with or adjacent to the progressive ‘Squad,’” the Examiner continued.
The outlet went on to report that Omar and Tlaib have both been heavily criticized for echoing social media posts claims by Hamas regarding a deadly hospital strike in Gaza, which they were then slow to delete.
One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against the resolution, saying he did not agree with provisions that would “call for sanctions on a foreign country” as well as “an open-ended promise of military support that is so broad it could be interpreted to commit U.S. soldiers to the conflict,” among other disagreements.
Also, Johnson met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate over the weekend in what some see as a positive development ahead of the 2024 election.
“The meeting, which took place at a fundraiser for Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., marked the first time the two have met in person since Johnson was elected on Oct. 25,” ABC News reported, noting that the get-together was first reported by Punchbowl News. Earlier this month, during an interview with CNBC, Johnson said he was “all in for President Trump” in 2024.
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