U.S. President Joe Biden and American officials are pressuring House Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a vote on a bill that the White House claims includes crucial funding for the war in Ukraine against Russia, although former President Donald Trump opposes the bill. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated in a rare press conference at the White House that "the bill will fund U.S. forces in the Middle East, forces that protect trade in the Red Sea, humanitarian assistance in Gaza, and defense contractors and submarine manufacturing in the United States."
Republican Mike Johnson has indicated that there are no urgent plans to allow the House to vote on a $95 billion international security aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. He emphasized at the weekly press conference for House leaders that "the Senate will not force us to take action." Johnson reiterated his insistence that any military and humanitarian aid package must include security measures for the U.S. border with Mexico. He stated regarding border measures: "We will continue to insist that we should take care of our own affairs first before addressing global issues."
The Senate passed the security bill without border-related provisions on Tuesday after Republicans blocked a previous version of the bill, following months of negotiations between the parties, which included the most comprehensive overhaul of U.S. immigration policy in decades. The aid package received support from 70 members, including 22 Republicans, in the narrowly Democratic-controlled Senate. To become law, it must also be approved by the House, where Republicans led by Johnson hold a slim majority and thus have full control over what is brought to a vote.
