House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is demanding that President Biden make “transformative” changes to his lax border enforcement policies before he will agree to provide more military and financial aid to Ukraine as its war with Russia drags on.
The demand came via a former letter response to the White House “one day after Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned Congress that the $111 billion in supplemental funds previously allocated to Ukraine for its fight against Russia are running out,” the Daily Wire reported.
Congressional Republicans want the “enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws,” Johnson said in the letter, going on to remind the administration that he made that demand clear weeks ago during a White House visit shortly after becoming Speaker.
My response to the White House on their lack of a clearly defined strategy and end game for prevailing in Ukraine and the need for transformative change to our nation’s border security laws: pic.twitter.com/JZZhIp7K4v
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 5, 2023
Johnson mentioned that the GOP-led House passed a bill earlier this year that would mandate the Homeland Security Department to recommence the construction of then-President Donald Trump’s border wall, elevate penalties for visa overstays, instigate reforms in asylum and immigration parole, and include various other provisions.
The GOP-led House “has led in defining reforms to secure America’s borders,” the Louisiana Republican said, adding that “Senate Democrats have refused to act on that bill.” And, Johnson added, the Biden administration “has ignored reality” and chosen to “engage in political posturing” rather than “engaging with Congressional Republicans to discuss logical reforms.”
Senate Republicans have advocated for immigration reforms, incorporating concepts from the House-passed bill, in discussions with Democrats regarding providing further support to Ukraine as its conflict with Russia approaches the two-year mark. However, these negotiations, focused on approving Biden’s approximately $106 billion supplemental funding request for Ukraine, Israel, and other purposes, have run into problems over to disagreements on border security, the Daily Wire noted.
“This is a choice Republicans are making,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said in a post to X on Tuesday. “They have decided to play games with world security by requiring their hardline immigration policy demands be met before Ukraine is saved. This isn’t a game. This is the future of the world.”
