House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) on Wednesday dismissed conservative criticism of the lack of border security provisions in the latest foreign aid bill, saying it’s the Senate and White House that are standing in the way of border security. He blamed the lack of action by Democrats. .
“Some of my colleagues want the speaker of the House to have a magic wand,” Johnson said Wednesday on Fox Business Network’s “Kudlow.” “If we could close our borders ourselves, we would have closed them a long time ago.”
His remarks came just hours after he released the legal text for three bills that would combine military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies with humanitarian aid to Gaza. The bill comes after months of delays after his original proposal was criticized by the right.
The foreign aid bill does not include border security measures, reversing his previous point that any aid to Ukraine would be tied to border security measures. He said Wednesday that another measure would include “core elements” of HR2.
Despite any attempts to placate the right, many conservatives criticized Johnson’s move, accusing him of breaking a bipartisan agreement with President Biden.
In a conversation with Fox Business Network host Larry Kudlow, Johnson pointed to the passage of HR2 in the House last year and how the Democratic-controlled Senate chose not to bring it forward. did.
“It’s on Chuck Schumer’s desk. It includes closing the border, changing asylum, processes and issues… ending catch-and-release, reinstating Remain in Mexico, which President Trump has done so effectively. All of that was included, but Biden reflexively did the opposite, and that was the problem,” Johnson said. “We passed a resolution, Larry. We passed a law. They’re sitting on Chuck Schumer’s desk in the Senate because, again, Democrats run the Senate. The Democrats are running the White House. And they want open borders.”
In floor remarks Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Democrats were “happy” to have discussions with those on the other side of the border corridor. He argued that House Republicans are “wasting time” with their impeachment effort against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, pointing to the secretary’s past efforts to take action at the border. The Senate subsequently rejected two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, closing the possibility of a Senate trial.
“If Republicans had worked with Democrats on border reform instead of spending so much time and energy on this pointless impeachment, they could have actually accomplished something. House Republicans are serious about border security.” If you want to have a debate, we welcome it,” Schumer said at a press conference after the impeachment vote.
Mr Johnson noted that the House of Commons is planning to: bring border tag The bill, titled the Ending Border Catastrophe Act, will be introduced on the House floor later this week.
He echoed similar sentiments in a separate interview on CNN’s “The Read with Jake Tapper,” reinforcing low expectations for the Republican conference given the party’s paper majority.
“We’re not going to get 100% of what we want right now, because our majority is the smallest in history,” he told CNN anchor Jake Tapper. “By definition, we cannot have everything we want.”
“But we have a great product here, and it’s ultimately much better than the alternative that was submitted in the Senate supplement,” he continued. “And now everyone can vote their conscience for or against it. That’s what we’re here for.”
The mounting pressure on Mr. Johnson comes amid an ouster threat from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Last month, Johnson tabled a motion calling for him to step down after he pushed for an omnibus spending package to avert a partial government shutdown.
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky on Tuesday became the first Republican to publicly support Greene’s motion. He cited Mr Johnson’s plan to shelve aid to Ukraine, as well as his handling of government funds and last week’s vote to reauthorize US warrantless surveillance authorities.
Several Republicans have voiced opposition to Johnson’s removal from office, and several Democrats have said they are prepared to save him depending on his response to aid to Ukraine.
This article was updated at 7:36 p.m. ET
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