On Thursday, newly elected US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who was speaking in an interview on Fox News, said that funding to support Israel and Ukraine should be handled separately, suggesting he will not back President Joe Biden’s $106 billion aid package for both countries.
Johnson said he met with Biden on Thursday and he told White House staff “Our consensus among House Republicans is we need to bifurcate those issues.”
Biden wants Congress to provide $106 billion in supplemental funding, with the majority of the money going to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses and the remainder split among Israel, Indo-Pacific, and border enforcement.
Biden is betting that including money for Israel and immigration will help convince House Republicans wary of sending additional money to Ukraine to support the measure.