Republicans in the House and Senate are closing ranks in a bid to force President Biden to deal with the ongoing crisis at the U.S. southern border.
Both Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have signaled that getting any part of Biden’s $106 billion supplemental aid request passed would require concessions on conservative border and asylum measures.
Johnson told GOP lawmakers in a closed-door meeting that passing border security measures is a top goal of his in considering an aid package, two sources who were present told Fox News Digital.
One said Johnson called border security a “hill to die on” in the ongoing fight, confirming earlier reporting by the Associated Press.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are united in calling for border security measures to be paired with President Biden’s aid request
House conservatives have been pushing Johnson to not accept anything less than H.R. 2, the GOP’s marquee border bill, which would reinstate Trump administration-era measures such as Remain In Mexico and limit the ability for undocumented migrants to seek asylum, among other policies.
McConnell told reporters at a press conference later that afternoon that he would urge Senate Republicans to vote against advancing Biden’s $106 billion request unless border security measures were included.
It comes after bipartisan compromise talks on the matter fell through over the weekend. Despite that, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., teed up a vote on Biden’s aid request for later this week.
“I’m advocating, and I hope all of our members vote no on the motion to proceed to the shell, to make the point – hopefully for the final time – that we insist on meaningful changes to the border,” McConnell said.
President Biden requested $106 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, the U.S. border, and humanitarian causes (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“We’ve had a number of members who have been involved in it over the years without much success. Now is the time to pay attention to our own border in addition to these other important international concerns.”
President Biden’s supplemental aid request includes funding for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, humanitarian aid, as well as the U.S. border.
The House has already passed a standalone bill with the roughly $14 billion in Israel aid Biden requested, but the funding would be offset by money allocated toward the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a nonstarter for the Democrat-held Senate.
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House Republican leaders have signaled they will only put Ukraine aid on the floor, of which Biden requested roughly $61 billion, if it’s paired with border security measures.
Schumer instead suggested at his own Tuesday press conference that he would allow a vote on a border security amendment crafted by Senate Republicans in addition to the supplemental.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer teed up a vote on Biden’s request for later this week (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I will not interfere with them drawing up an amendment, but it will need 60 votes like any amendment would,” Schumer said.
McConnell panned the idea when asked by reporters later.
“They don’t want to deal with border security in the context of the supplemental. We do, because we know that will guarantee an outcome – because the other parts of supplemental almost all of our members support,” he said.