The US House Speaker indicated on Sunday that he "understands the necessity of standing with Israel". He stated his intention to once again push for an aid package in response to Tehran's retaliatory drone and missile strike on April 13, seeking revenge for the deaths of two Iranian generals killed at its embassy in Syria.
It is uncertain whether Johnson's proposal would encompass aid for Ukraine and Taiwan.
In his Fox News interview on Sunday, Johnson detailed the House GOP's ongoing efforts to pass aid packages for Israel since October 2023, emphasizing the critical need to support Tel Aviv.
When asked what he thought about funding Ukraine, the speaker said that he had discussed the possibility of sending aid to the Eastern European state in the form of a loan with former President Donald Trump last Friday. He also suggested using the REPO Act to give the US president the authority to seize Russian sovereign assets frozen in the US and transfer them to the Kiev regime.
The H.R.4175 - REPO for Ukrainians Act was introduced in the House in July 2023, and later received support from the US Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs on January 24, 2024. However, concerns have been raised by certain lawmakers, such as Senator Rand Paul, who caution against the potential consequences of seizing Moscow's frozen assets. These reverberations could include a subsequent economic war between the US and Russia, escalating tensions in Ukraine, and eroded trust in the US as a reliable global economic leader.
Even though the speaker said that he would look into the "supplemental issues" and put together some aid packages this week, the US mainstream press admits that the future of the Ukraine aid package is still in limbo.
In particular, Axios cited House Majority Leader Steve Scalise who said in the aftermath of the Iranian strike that this week "the House will move from its previously announced legislative schedule" to "instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel" and holds Iran and its allies accountable.
The Biden administration and Democrats want Johnson to urgently pass the $95.3 billion package to support Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The bill was approved by the Senate in February.
On April 14, President Biden convened a call with Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and called on them "to pass the national security supplemental as soon as possible," based on the White House's official statement.
Still, the supplemental bill passed by the upper chamber two months ago does not contain critically important border security provisions, named by House Republicans as a condition for passing the foreign aid legislation. There appears to be a slight shift in the GOP's attitude to the matter, with Republicans urging Biden to use his presidential authority to close the border.
In his Sunday interview, Johnson pointed to "9 million official encounters" at the southern border during Biden's presidency, suggesting that around 16 million illegals could have snuck into the United States. The speaker insisted that Biden has a number of political tools to stop the mess, referring to executive orders issued by Donald Trump to curb the flow of illegal migrants into the US through the country's southern frontier.
Speaker-elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., puts the gavel down before speaking at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.
© AP Photo / Alex Brandon
Furthermore, Johnson insinuated that undocumented immigrants could potentially sway the outcome of the upcoming November general elections in favor of the Democrats. He also mentioned that House Republicans would do their best to stop this from happening.
According to Axios, President Biden may consider utilizing a "nuclear" executive action authorized under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) in the near future, possibly by the end of April. This provision grants the president broad authority to implement immigration restrictions.
Up to this point, President Biden has been hesitant to exercise this option. In an interview with Univision on April 10, he mentioned, "Some are suggesting that I should just go ahead and try it... And if I get shut down by the court, I get shut down by the court." This questions whether Biden's executive actions concerning the border security will open the door for the GOP's approval of a new aid package for Ukraine, especially given the Kiev regime's continuing retreat and loss of territory.