President Joe Biden announced he “strongly” supports the House foreign aid package as Republicans rapidly turn on Speaker Mike Johnson over efforts to combine several supplemental bills into a single rule with a lack of border security legislation in the package.
Shortly after the texts of the bills–a 49-page Ukraine supplemental, a 25-page Israel supplemental, and a 15-page “Indo-Pacific” supplemental–were released, Biden urged the passing of the “package,” according to a statement shared to X by Politico’s Daniella Diaz. A document from House Republicans on the appropriations committee notes that $26.38 billion would go to Israel, $60.84 billion would go to Ukraine, and $8.12 billion would head to the Indo-Pacific in the three bills.
This is exactly what Speaker Mike Johnson needs at this moment — a positive statement from President Biden about his foreign aid package. pic.twitter.com/lp62dSL5eq
— Daniella Diaz (@DaniellaMicaela) April 17, 2024
“I strongly support this package to get critical support to Israel and Ukraine, provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, and bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” Biden’s statement read.
“The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow. I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed,” it added.
Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk said Biden’s endorsement of the plan is evidence Republicans are “getting screwed on the foreign aid bills.”
How do you know we're getting screwed on the foreign aid bills?
Joe Biden has come out immediately in support of Speaker Johnson's plan for $90+ billion for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Reports say Schumer is gloating to his colleagues on the Senate floor that Democrats are…
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 17, 2024
Biden also authored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday morning urging the House to “pass urgent national-security legislation for Ukraine and Israel, as well as desperately needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.”
Around noon time, after the op-ed was published and before the bills’ texts were released, Biden said he was “getting briefed on it when on the plane” when asked if he was confident the “separate bills for Ukraine and Israel aid” would “get through” while departing Scranton for Pittsburgh, according to MSNBC footage.
Biden says he can't comment on "separate bills for Ukraine and Israel aid" because nobody has briefed him yet.
Then he shuffles away. pic.twitter.com/c2zWNv59FX
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 17, 2024
Biden’s endorsement of the “package” comes as Johnson’s aim at bundling the bills under one rule – which, if passed, would allow votes on all three bills but deny votes on all if it fails – has caused growing dissatisfaction among his conference.
Reps. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) signaled opposition to the rule on Tuesday, while Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) joined the chorus on Wednesday, calling Johnson’s “strategic choice” an “abject surrender.” while speaking with CNN’s Manu Raju.
Anger from right flank on Johnson:
Gaetz: “There is no other way to describe it, it is surrender, it is disappointing. I won’t support it.”
Crane: “It's disappointing. It's completely detached from what our base wants what our what our voters want.” pic.twitter.com/IGWFTigse0
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 17, 2024
Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has cosponsored Greene’s motion to vacate the chair against Johnson on Tuesday and told Breitbart News Daily on Wednesday that he hopes Johnson will sign on for a plan where he resigns once the conference, which has a one-vote majority, comes to a consensus on a successor.
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