US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday (Feb 4) rejected the much-anticipated deal that would unlock billions in new aid for Ukraine and Israel while tightening American border laws. In a post on X, House Speaker Johnson said, “This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created.”
Johnson pledged that if the bill reached the House, it would be dead on arrival.
I’ve seen enough. This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created. As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation, “the border never closes.”
If this bill reaches the House, it will be…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 5, 2024
Earlier in the day, American senators released the text of the deal. According to a report by the news agency AFP, Senate Appropriations Committee chair Patty Murray said that the so-called national security supplemental legislation provided for $118.3 billion in total funding including $60 billion to support Ukraine and $14.1 billion in security assistance to Israel.
Ukraine has been fighting a war against Russia since late Feb 2022 and Israel has been at war with Hamas since early Oct last year. The deal also includeed $20.2 billion for US border security and a myriad of immigration policy changes agreed to by both Democrats and Republicans. According to a report by the news agency AFP, the bill’s prospects of becoming a law are unclear.
Biden backs deal, urges Congress to swiftly pass it
Strongly backing the bipartisan deal, President Joe Biden said, “We’ve reached an agreement on a bipartisan national security deal that includes the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades. I strongly support it.”
President Biden urged Congress to “swiftly pass” the deal and “get it to my desk so I can sign it into law immediately.” He also urged Republicans to back the deal. “If you believe, as I do, that we must secure the border now, doing nothing is not an option,” he added.
Blinken begins fifth trip to Middle East
The release of the deal’s text for war-torn Ukraine and Israel came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a fifth trip to the Middle East, seeking to push forward a proposal to halt the Israel-Hamas war in return for the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.
Blinken will visit Israel as well as Egypt and Qatar, the key go-between with Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip and maintains an office in Doha. Speaking to CBS last week, National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan said that Blinken would press Israel to allow more food, water, medicine, and shelter in Gaza.
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“This will be a top priority of his when he sees the Israeli government — that the needs of the Palestinian people are something that is going to be front and centre in the US approach,” Sullivan added.
(With inputs from agencies)
