Speaker Mike Johnson is demanding a meeting with President Biden before taking up any national security funding on the House floor.
‘I’ve been requesting a meeting with the president for weeks now, a month. I’ve been asking to sit down with the President talk about the border, talk about national security,’ Johnson told reporters on Tuesday. ‘That meeting has not been granted.’
It comes after Johnson’s GOP-led House successfully impeached Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas – but bucked any prospect of passing a national security and immigration package that originates in the upper chamber.
First the Senate tried to pass a bipartisan deal with foreign aid and immigration provisions – but spiked that package due to Republican opposition to the immigration parts.
Then the Senate successfully passed a $95 billion aid package with money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and Gaza and no immigration provisions, 70-29.
Speaker Mike Johnson is demanding a meeting with President Biden before taking up any national security funding on the House floor
Johnson has insisted that will not go to the floor in the House. He claimed both deals lacked the real border security measures Republicans are demanding.
‘The Republican-led House will not be jammed or forced into passing a foreign aid bill that was opposed by most Republican senators and does nothing to secure or border.’
‘I’m going to continue to insist on [a meeting] because there are very serious issues that need to be addressed and if the Speaker of the House can’t sit down with the president of the united states, that’s a problem.’
‘I don’t know why they’re uncomfortable having the president sit across the table from me, but I will go in in good faith because we have to solve this issue and do everything we can,’ the speaker went on.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre punted blame back on the speaker when asked about a Biden meeting.
‘I think the speaker doesn’t understand what it is that his job is. Put that bill to the floor. Put that bill to the floor – it will get bipartisan support.’
‘He’s the one killing this.’
Johnson said instead of passing a standalone package without any immigration provisions, the Senate should have amended their original bill to include ‘real border security provisions that would actually help end the ongoing catastrophe.
‘Instead, the Senate’s foreign aid bill is silent on the most pressing issue facing our country.’
House Republicans have insisted any border security and foreign aid package must be nothing short of their conservative-only border bill H.R. 2. They’ve also insisted discussions on any sort of bipartisan deal must be led by the House and the White House, not the Senate.
Democrats eviscerated Republicans over the refusal to take up the Senate’s original bill, which was endorsed by the border patrol union. Now they’re looking at ways to force national security aid to the floor without Johnson’s approval.
Democratic leadership has discussed the possibility of forcing the bill to the floor by discharge petition. This would require 218 members to sign on. Dozens of Democrats could drop off due to opposition to Israel funding, so they’d need a significant number of Republicans to get on board.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, revealed Wednesday he is working with House and Senate members on a brand-new deal for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan aid coupled with border security.
He said he hopes the deal will be bipartisan and released in the next few days.