President Joe Biden and House Speaker Mike Johnson shared an interesting moment regarding Ukraine during an annual luncheon with Irish officials ahead of Saint Patrick’s Day.
Johnson was seen clapping after Biden mentioned aid to Ukraine during a speech on Friday. Earlier this week, Johnson signaled he was interested in sending aid to Ukraine, telling GOP Senators at the House Republican retreat in West Virginia that he was devoted to finding a way for Ukraine aid within the House, according to CNN.
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However, Johnson also signaled that Congress needs to fully fund the rest of the government before Ukraine aid can happen, Politico reported. The Speaker has faced pressure this week regarding Ukraine funding, notably from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who said “the fate of millions” depends on this military aid package.
“I’m deeply grateful for Ireland’s unwavering humanitarian aid to the people of not only Ukraine, but also Gaza,” Biden said, drawing applause. “I’m committed to doing our part. I think the vast majority of members of Congress are willing to do their part, and I continue to urge every member in this room to stand up to Vladimir Putin. He’s a thug.”
“We’re looking at all the options on all the issues on the table and we’re just not ready to make a pronouncement on that yet,” Johnson said later on to The Hill reporter Mychael Schnell about Ukraine aid without border aid.
Johnson has faced heat from his own party, especially hard-liners who have vocally and unabashedly opposed additional aid to Ukraine. The war against Russia surpassed the two-year mark in February.
Days before that anniversary, the U.S. Senate passed a $95.34 billion foreign aid package that included $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, and $4.83 billion to help America’s allies in the Indo-Pacific region. The package would also give $9.15 billion in humanitarian aid to conflict zones such as Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine.
However, Johnson swiftly signaled that his conference would not entertain the bill package—instead reverting the discussion to domestic aid, namely in the form of more security and resources devoted to the U.S.-Mexico border.
“[In] the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters,” Johnson said in a statement in mid-February. “America deserves better than the Senate’s status quo.”
Republicans in the Senate voted against $100 billion legislation drafted by one of their own, Senator James Lankford, that some argue would have closed illegal immigration loopholes. Most Republicans in the House and Senate said the bill did not go far enough, including Johnson—who essentially called it a non-starter.
Biden’s support for Israel in its continued conflict with Hamas has also wavered somewhat, in terms of supporting how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has administered his country’s aggression in response for the deadly October 7 attacks.
Biden has warned Israel that it faces “strategic defeat” if it allows the humanitarian crisis to continue. Irish leaders previously expressed antipathy for continued support for Israel.
Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer has also espoused forceful rhetoric regarding Netanyahu’s reign, saying on the Senate floor on Wednesday: “The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7. The world has changed, radically, since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.