Speaker Mike Johnson has recently voiced his criticism of the Senate’s newly passed $95 billion foreign aid package. However, reports indicate that Johnson’s opposition to the bill will effectively kill its chances of becoming law.
The speaker suggested that the House of Representatives is focused more on upcoming appropriations deadlines, instead of the bill. When questioned if he saw a scenario in which he would put the bill on the House floor for a vote, Johnson answered that he didn’t. “I certainly don’t right now,” Johnson said. “We’re dealing with the appropriations process. We have immediate deadlines upon us in that. That’s where the attention of the House is in this moment.”
Johnson further criticized the Senate for prioritizing the foreign aid package over passing meaningful legislation to secure the border. He explained that in light of the Senate’s failure to rise to the occasion, the House would have to “work on its own” to address the critical issue of the southern border.
“House Republicans were crystal clear from the very beginning of discussions that any so-called national security supplemental legislation must recognize that national security begins at our own border. The House acted ten months ago to help enact transformative policy change by passing the Secure Our Border Act, and since then, including today, the Senate has failed to meet the moment,” Johnson said.
“The mandate of national security supplemental legislation was to secure America’s own border before sending additional foreign aid around the world. It is what the American people demand and deserve. Now, in the absence of having received a single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters. America deserves better than the Senate’s status
quo,” the speaker continued.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell celebrated the Senate’s approval of the foreign aid package, stating, “History settles every account. And today, on the value of American leadership and strength, history will record that the Senate did not blink.” However, as things stand, it doesn’t appear the bill will pass the House.
House Democrats have indicated they will exhaust all available options to push the bill forward despite Speaker Johnson’s stark opposition to the legislation. Reportedly, a discharge petition would be the most viable option to work around Johnson’s disposition. However, this would require an unlikely number of Republicans to join Democrats across the aisle.
Congressional Republicans have also set their sights on Mitch McConnell, who has received harsh criticism for his leadership in the Senate. The American Tribune recently reported on comments from GOP Sen. Mike Lee, who called for McConnell’s removal from his positions, echoing a pervasive sentiment that the Republican party needs new leadership in the chamber.
“Look, Republican senators are not part of some feudal system,” Lee replied. “We each are represented to — we’re each representing our own states. And in occasion after occasion, bill after bill, we have seen Senate Republican leadership joining ranks with all or most Democrats, sharply dividing Republicans, actively alienating most Republican voters and taking a different position than most Republican senators in order to enact Democratic priorities and things that unite the Senate Democratic conference.”
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