House Republicans side with Putin and Teheran against NATO and Ukraine, says White House
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“House Republicans are siding with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Tehran against our defense industrial base, against NATO, against Ukraine, against our interests in the Indo-Pacific,” the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a joint press briefing with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Feb. 14.
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“Just over a week ago, Congressional Republicans killed the toughest, fairest bipartisan border security deal in a generation,” she said.
“They cited Donald Trump’s concern that the deal would be effective and undermine his political position as their reason for opposing it.”
"Faced with the choice of joining President Biden and the Border Patrol union to secure our border, congressional Republicans instead sided with Donald Trump, fentanyl traffickers, and smugglers,” she continued, adding that Republicans are putting politics ahead of national security.
“Stop what you’re doing. Put our national security first.”
Meanwhile, Sullivan said that “The Senate took important action to advance America’s core national security interests by overwhelmingly passing the national security supplemental agreement.”
“This bipartisan legislation will allow the United States to continue to support the people of Ukraine, alongside our allies and partners, as they fight every single day to defend their freedom and independence.”
The U.S. Senate passed the bill, which provides $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan on Feb. 12. $60 billion of the aid is earmarked for Kyiv.
Read also: U.S. Senate passes $95B aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, House approval awaited
The document must now be approved by the House of Representatives. Its speaker, Mike Johnson, earlier criticized the Senate’s support for the package bill, making it clear he would personally block the bill from being voted on in the House. This follows his previous warnings that aid to Ukraine, would be “dead on arrival.”
NBC has reported that Johnson has been pressing for a direct meeting with President Joe Biden to discuss the legislative path forward for a significant aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Blocking aid to Ukraine: What is known
On Dec. 6, the bill funding aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan for approximately $106 billion failed procedural voting in the US Senate due to Republican demands for stricter immigration policies. They sought to strengthen the border with Mexico and only consider it in connection with aid to Ukraine and Israel.
On Jan. 19, Johnson revealed that he often discusses border issues with former US President Donald Trump, including conversations on the eve of Biden’s meeting dedicated to the border and aid to Ukraine.
On Jan. 25, the Financial Times reported that Republicans, influenced by Trump, who demands the party reject a compromise on immigration, are succumbing.
On Jan. 31, in his first official address as Speaker, Johnson stated that the Senate agreement under discussion is not sufficient to prevent migrants from Mexico entering the US.
On Feb. 5, the US Senate unveiled a $118 billion package, including $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion in aid to Israel, nearly $5 billion to allies in the Asia-Pacific region, $20 billion for strengthening immigration policy, and humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip.
On Feb. 6, Joe Biden accused the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, of trying to intimidate Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate so that they would not vote for the bill on Ukraine.
On Feb. 7, the US Senate did not support consideration of a bipartisan package of border reforms, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel. The corresponding draft law did not receive a sufficient number of votes during the procedural voting.
Read also: Zelenskyy thanks US Senate for passing $60 billion aid bill
Johnson remains adamant that any forthcoming aid package should also address changes in U.S. border policy. This stance follows the Senate's Feb. 13 endorsement of a substantial aid provision, which designates $60 billion of the total $95 billion for Ukraine.
A Johnson-Biden meeting, focused on a bipartisan immigration deal, could be key to unlocking aid for Ukraine.
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