Johnson says will offer aid bill this week
WASHINGTON, DC – US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday (Monday in Manila) he aims to advance war-time aid to Israel this week following Iran’s weekend attack, but did not clarify whether Ukraine funding would be part of the package.
American assistance for both nations has languished amid political bickering in Congress, with Johnson -- an ally of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump -- blocking an earlier $95 billion in aid sought by President Joe Biden for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan which had passed the Senate.
“The House Republicans and the Republican Party understand the necessity of standing with Israel. We’re going to try again this week, and the details of that package are being put together right now,” Johnson told Fox show “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“We’re looking at the options on all these supplemental issues.”
Johnson is walking a knife edge on aid for Ukraine, as Trump and far-right lawmakers in the House of Representatives have grown skeptical of pouring billions of dollars into Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invading forces.
The speaker huddled with Trump Friday in Florida. On Sunday he told Fox he was considering structuring the aid to Ukraine as a loan, as Trump has suggested and which Johnson said “I think has a lot of consensus.”
Biden meanwhile participated in a call with congressional leaders on Sunday including Johnson to address the “urgent need” for the House to approve the bipartisan aid package passed by the Senate.
“On the call, the president discussed the urgent need for the House of Representatives to pass the national security supplemental as soon as possible,” the White House said in a statement.
Several House conservatives have said they want stricter US migration policies added to any security aid package.
“I for one am prepared to help Ukraine, but I want to see us deal with the southern border,” Senator Marco Rubio told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, adding: “If the Senate were to send the House a (standalone) Israel aid bill on Monday, the House will pass it.”