- Speaker Mike Johnson believes Senate legislation on border and aid to Ukraine would not gain traction in the House, aligning with House leadership aides’ indications.
- Former President Trump’s opposition to the deal, coupled with discussions on border issues, complicates the progress of the supplemental package.
- Johnson’s message that the bill would be “dead on arrival” was reinforced by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s chief of staff, while the Department of Homeland Security criticizes efforts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. Johnson urges executive action from President Biden and supports Texas Governor Abbott’s dispute with the federal government.
Additional Coverage:
In a letter to his colleagues on Friday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) expressed his belief that Senate legislation concerning the border and aid to Ukraine and other countries would not have gained traction in the House. Johnson’s statement aligns with previous indications from House leadership aides and conservatives that the supplemental package would not be successful even if it passed in the Senate. Johnson’s letter was released as Senate Republicans search for an alternative plan to deliver aid to Ukraine.
The coupling of discussions on border issues with support for Ukraine has complicated the progress of the supplemental package. While the package has its own critics among GOP members, former President Trump’s opposition to the deal and his success in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary have further complicated matters. Trump considers the package insufficient and wishes to use the border issue against President Biden in the November elections.
Johnson’s message that the bill would be “dead on arrival” in the House was reinforced by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) chief of staff in a conversation with Republican chiefs of staff on Thursday. In his letter, Johnson also mentioned the upcoming impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of intentionally disregarding and undermining immigration laws. The House Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a markup of impeachment articles against Mayorkas for Tuesday.
The Department of Homeland Security criticized House Republicans’ efforts to impeach Mayorkas as “baseless and pointless political attacks” that harm the department and its workforce. Johnson also referred to the H.R. 2 Secure the Border Act, passed by House Republicans last year, as a comprehensive solution to address the border crisis. However, the bill has been deemed dead on arrival in the Senate.
Johnson urged President Biden to take executive action, including the restart of Trump-era policies, to address the influx of migrants at the border if he wishes to be seen as a good faith negotiator. Additionally, Johnson reaffirmed his support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) in his dispute with the federal government over the placement of razor wire along the border. The Supreme Court has ruled that the government can remove the razor wire.
Johnson emphasized that House Republicans will strongly oppose any policy proposals from the White House or Senate that incentivize illegal immigration. The article concludes by directing readers to The Hill for the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video.