Rust, of the state of Indiana, said he "absolutely, positively" agrees that funding for Ukraine aid and US border security should be tied together in one bill.
"The issue I have with Ukraine is you have to fund our own border first before we go and fund Ukraine's border," Rust said. "I'm not for sending any money to Ukraine until our own southern border wall is built completely and funded completely from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean."
Earlier this month, Senate Republicans blocked a $118 billion national security supplemental package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel and border policy reforms. Republicans claim the reforms in the bill would not do enough to deter illegal immigration on the US southern border.
However, the Senate sent over a $95 billion foreign aid bill that excludes border security reforms to the House of Representatives for consideration, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has been reluctant to take it up for a vote over differences on national security priorities. The supplemental bill includes $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, among funding for other priorities.