Johnson offers fresh criticism of Senate's Ukraine bill, but House expected to give OK eventually

MW Johnson offers fresh criticism of Senate's Ukraine bill, but House expected to give OK eventually

By Victor Reklaitis

'The House likely bumbles, mumbles, stumbles and grumbles for a couple of weeks before it approves this aid package,' analyst says

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday continued to criticize an aid package for Ukraine and other countries, even as analysts expect that a divided Washington eventually will deliver on the matter.

"We are not going to be forced into action by the Senate, who in the latest product they sent us over, does not have one word in the bill about America's border," Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said during a news conference.

The speaker also had knocked the package late Monday for lacking provisions for U.S. border security. Former President Donald Trump, the likely 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has lobbied against the bill as well, saying in a social-media post that any aid to other countries should be done as a loan.

Johnson's remarks on Wednesday came after the Democratic-run Senate voted early Tuesday to approve a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, with 22 Republicans supporting its passage.

President Joe Biden called on Tuesday afternoon for Johnson to allow an immediate House vote on the package. White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement Wednesday that House Republicans are "yet again putting politics ahead of national security - siding with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Tehran, against America's defense industrial base XAR, against NATO, against Ukraine, and against our interests in the Indo-Pacific."

Amid the war of words, analysts are predicting the House eventually will OK some foreign aid, even though it's not yet clear how the approval will occur.

"Our call remains war assistance will flow this quarter," analysts at 22V Research said in a note to clients. "Beyond that, we like you, will watch and learn with interest."

In a similar vein, Terry Haines, the founder of Pangaea Policy, wrote: "The House likely bumbles, mumbles, stumbles and grumbles for a couple of weeks before it approves this aid package."

Related: Defense stocks get a lift as Senate passes Ukraine aid. Here's how the House may OK 'some' of it.

-Victor Reklaitis

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February 14, 2024 11:42 ET (16:42 GMT)

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