Speaker Johnson: Prioritize Israel Aid, 'Separate'

In his first closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans on Wednesday, new Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., emphasized that while he is open to a Ukraine aid package, which one senator described as being "inextricably intertwined" with funding the southern border, the House must first prioritize passing a standalone funding bill for Israel.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., a known critic of Ukraine aid, who was in attendance at the meeting, told reporters Johnson "thinks there needs to be another Ukraine aid package, and he wants to do that. He just said over and over, 'Listen, for me it's just numbers. We cannot do them together.'"

According to The Hill, while the aid package for Israel stands at a hefty $14.3 billion, funds would be appropriated directly from the IRS budget. The standalone measure comes as the Biden administration calls for tying Israel, Ukraine, and the border funding to a $105 billion bill.

Johnson remains committed to supporting Israel separately, maintaining a clear distinction between the Jewish state.

"He repeated," Hawley added, "what I think he said on television shows, which is that he thinks there needs to be another Ukraine aid package, and he wants to do that. He emphasized that from his perspective of his majority, he said he has to separate them. He cannot get his majority to pass them together."

This strategic partitioning of aid packages isn't Johnson's only focus. He's also eyeing a stopgap funding bill stretching into 2024. This is a preemptive effort to buffer against a last-minute government shutdown. While Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., floated the notion a continuing resolution should fund the government till Jan. 15, Sen. Hawley noted that he suggested a longer-term solution, lasting till March or April.

According to Cramer, Johnson's rationale is clear: "Without a sooner deadline, we won't start working sooner."

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky did not speak at the meeting and did not attempt to refute Johnson's argument in favor of separating the funding for Israel and Ukraine, according to several senators.

McConnell, who has been a vocal proponent, both privately and publicly, of funding Israel, Ukraine, Indo-Pacific allies, i.e., Taiwan, and border security, reportedly did not engage in debate during the meeting.

But Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a close ally of McConnell, said, "The most important thing is to see if the House can actually pass an Israel bill. I think [Johnson] said he expects to do that by Friday. And then the ball's in [Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's] court."

Cornyn also noted that Johnson did not provide a timeline for a Ukraine aid package but clarified that it would be "inextricably" tied to the border issue.

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