WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – House Republicans are digging in their heels by refusing to pass a massive foreign aid package that cleared the Senate Tuesday with bipartisan support.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he is in no rush to take up the bill without major changes on border policy and he’s demanding a meeting with President Joe Biden.
The White House is ramping up pressure on the speaker to pass the foreign aid package.
“This isn’t about politics it’s literally about our national security,” said White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby.
Senate Democrats and some Republicans passed the package which sends billons to Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine, but Johnson is not budging.
“The Republican-led House will not be jammed or forced into passing a foreign aid bill that was opposed by most Republican senators,” Johnson remarked.
He says the bill is going nowhere in the Republican-controlled House unless Trump era border policies are included.
“Look the American people are with us on this issue” he added.
Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw argues Ukraine can wait.
“Ukraine’s not falling in the next month, so we need to get this right,” Crenshaw said.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says the bill already has enough Republican support to pass, if Speaker Johnson just gets out of the way.
“Today, tomorrow or the end of the week, it will pass the House with more than 300 votes,” said Jeffries.
Some Republicans like North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry agree.
“There’s a clear majority in both the House and Senate that support our allies globally,” he said.
However, McHenry also predicts a bumpy road ahead.
“It’s just going to take a while, it’s going to be very very difficult,” he said.
The White House insists the world is watching and history will judge the U.S. poorly if no action is taken. U.S. aid to Ukraine expired last month and the Defense department says Ukraine’s military is running out of supplies.