Tipsheet

As Foreign Aid Bill Clears Hurdles in the Senate, Speaker Johnson's Already Looking to Kill It

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  February 12, 2024 10:30 PM

The Senate border bill has gone through quite a messy path. The provisions meant to do with immigration were so bad that they ended up being separated from the bill, which means voting will be on funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The bill's cleared several hurdles, including votes in the Senate during a rare Sunday session. On Monday night, the Senate voted 66-33 to break the final filibuster. Such a vote comes not long after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has issued a warning of his own in a statement from Monday night. 

Although Johnson's statement signifies agreement with rejecting last week's legislation "due to its insufficient border provisions," it nevertheless begins by reminding that the crisis at the southern border must be addressed.

"House Republicans were crystal clear from the very beginning of discussions that any so-called national security supplemental legislation must recognize that national security begins at our own border," Johnson's statement began. "The House acted ten months ago to help enact transformative policy change by passing the Secure Our Border Act, and since then, including today, the Senate has failed to meet the moment."

Johnson's statement went on to note that the Senate "should have gone back to the drawing board to amend the current bill to include real border security provisions that would actually help end the ongoing catastrophe." And the speaker had strong words over the Senate not acting. "Instead, the Senate's foreign aid bill is silent on the most pressing issue facing our country."

In closing, Johnson sends a signal about working without the Senate, as he also speaks to the importance of the issue. "The mandate of national security supplemental legislation was to secure America's own border before sending additional foreign aid around the world. It is what the American people demand and deserve," he wrote. "Now, 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. America deserves better than the Senate's status quo."

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Over in the Senate, the bill nevertheless received significant pushback from Republicans there as well, especially Sens. JD Vance of Ohio and Rand Paul of Kentucky. Concerns aren't merely limited to high price tags of $95 trillion, or prioritizing foreign borders before our own. 

As Katie covered earlier, Vance highlighted a tricky provision hidden inside the bill that could lead to impeaching potentially future President Donald Trump yet again should he take issue with funding for Ukraine.