President Joe Biden's administration has reportedly made a last-minute push for aid to Ukraine in the next government spending bill, which Congress must pass by Dec. 20.
In late November, the Office of Management and Budget sent a request to Congress asking Congress to approve an additional $24 billion in emergency funding for weapons and equipment for Ukraine in future funding packages. But Chairman Mike Johnson has shown no interest in approving additional aid.
“It's not Joe Biden's place to make that decision right now.”
Asked about Biden's request at a press conference on Wednesday, Johnson said: “That's not my intention.”
“We are making rapid progress in Ukraine,” Johnson continued. “As we predicted, and as we told you weeks before the election, if Donald Trump were elected, the dynamics of Russia's war against Ukraine would change. And we believe that I’m watching it happen.”
Prime Minister Johnson said he would prioritize President-elect Donald Trump's proposals over the current Biden administration.
“It's not Joe Biden's place to make that decision now,” Johnson told a news conference. “We have a newly elected president and we will wait and follow the instructions of the new commander-in-chief.”
Congress needs to pass a new funding bill by Dec. 20 to avoid a government shutdown before the holidays. Johnson said earlier this week that he expected a funding bill to be tabled in March, but other MPs in the chamber were pushing for a funding bill in January.
The reality is that the longer the funding bill is extended, the less room there is for the incoming administration to set its legislative agenda.
Republicans also expect Trump's nominations to create at least three vacancies in the next Congress, further shrinking their already underrepresented House majority. As a result, Republicans will likely have to rely on Democrats to approve spending bills, weakening their negotiating power.
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