House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) held firm in his stance on Tuesday that securing the southern border is the nation’s top priority, following a White House meeting with President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders.
While the meeting, which also included Vice President Kamala Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), was described as “intense” and “productive” by the Democrat leaders, Johnson made it clear that border security must be addressed first and foremost.
Despite Democratic efforts to shift the focus to providing aid to Ukraine, Johnson repeatedly brought up the open border crisis, stating “when you talk about America’s needs, you have to talk first about our open border.” He emphasized his belief that the president has the authority to take immediate action to secure the border.
The speaker also addressed the urgent need for government funding, as the latest stopgap measure is set to expire. Johnson assured that Congress is working diligently to come to a solution and avoid a shutdown next month. “We will get the government funded,” he confidently stated.
Another topic of discussion was foreign aid, including aid to Ukraine and Israel, as well as humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected areas. The Senate has passed a $95 billion package, but the House has yet to consider it. Some House lawmakers are pushing for a smaller package with a $66 billion price tag, tying foreign aid to border security reform.
Johnson made it clear that House Republicans are actively investigating all options and will address the matter soon, however, for many Americans, it’s way past time already. He did not mention that the GOP’s proposed border security measures are a likely roadblock in negotiations with Democrats.
.@SpeakerJohnson following White House meeting: “It was frank and honest…then I had a one-on-one for a period of time with the president, just he and I in the Oval Office…it’s time for action…we will get the government funded and we’ll keep working on that.” pic.twitter.com/lcfXU9LG8R
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 27, 2024
President Biden traveled to the Texas-Mexico border, but the White House has been vague on whether he will unveil any new actions during the trip. This comes as former President Donald Trump is also scheduled to visit the border on the same day. It appears that Biden may be trying to save face and distract from the GOP’s criticisms by changing the narrative with his border visit.
As always, it seems that the two parties are at a stalemate, with both sides pushing for their agendas.
The House is ready to act, but the legislation has to solve the problem.
We must have transformative policy change at the border. pic.twitter.com/T2i948xB7O
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 17, 2024
