House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) holds a press conference after the caucuses at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC, on January 30, 2024.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) on Saturday announced an Israel-only funding measure that is expected to be voted on next week. This is another step in stalled negotiations over emergency aid that President Joe Biden originally proposed in October.
The House proposal poses a challenge to the Senate’s long-awaited policy, which is expected to be released this weekend. The Senate bill is expected to include a wide range of foreign aid beyond just Israel and address funding for border security.
But the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is particularly interested in placating Republican hardliners who expect Mr. Johnson to implement an ultra-conservative wish list of limiting spending and maximizing border security. have announced their intention to take strict action.
“After months of closed-door negotiations, the Senate appears poised to finally release the text of a supplemental package, but by excluding the House from negotiations, Senate leadership eliminates the ability to quickly consider any legislation. I am aware of what I have done,” Johnson wrote in a letter to “friends.”
“Next week, we will take up and pass an additional package for a clean, independent Israel,” the speaker added.
As the war against Hamas continues in the Gaza Strip, the House bill includes $17.6 billion for Israeli and U.S. forces in the area. If approved, the funding would be in addition to the $14.3 billion the House passed for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
The bill would separate aid to Israel from Ukraine, Taiwan and the U.S. southern border that was included in Biden’s original $105 billion aid proposal. That original bill included $61 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel, $6.4 billion for the U.S. border and $2 billion for Taiwan.
But disagreements over how to deal with U.S. border issues and whether to continue funding Ukraine’s defense to Russia stalled passage of Biden’s October aid package.
Democrats and Republicans have been in back-and-forth negotiations over the proposal for months, which nearly led to a government shutdown and cost some members of Congress their vacation days.
Democrats argue that funding for Ukraine is essential to prevent the further rise of Russia’s authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin and his threat to global democracy. Republicans, meanwhile, want to curb aid to Ukraine, arguing that the nearly two-year war with no clear end in sight has led to U.S. overspending.
The border has also become a major issue, as the number of migrants crossing into the United States has reached record highs in recent months. The influx has overwhelmed some cities, with mayors saying they don’t have the resources or infrastructure to accommodate the influx of immigrant populations. The crisis has led Republicans to press even harder for their border security wish list, including measures that would never pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
These clashes stalled emergency relief plans for months. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have vowed to work to find a compromise.
Both sides seemed optimistic that progress was being made. For example, in January, Mr. Johnson and New York Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had a productive meeting with Mr. Biden, reaching a bipartisan agreement to address the border, Ukraine and other presidential funding requests. He promised that he would be able to reach that goal. .
But in recent weeks, politics has hampered that progress.In the closed session, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Kentucky lawmakers reportedly told senators that former President Donald Trump intended to break the deal to prevent Biden from winning the race during an election year. President Trump has regularly used the border crisis as a talking point in his campaign against Biden, who is seeking re-election in 2024.
