House Speaker Mike Johnson wants President Biden to split the Ukraine and Israel funding in the White House’s $100 billion supplemental funding request.
The newly elected leader from Louisiana made the request because parts of his GOP caucus would not support the Ukraine segment.
“I told the staff at the White House today that our consensus among House Republicans is that we need to bifurcate those issues,” Mr. Johnson said Thursday in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
Ukraine funding is the dominant part of Mr. Biden’s funding request, amounting to roughly $60 billion compared with $14 billion for Israel and billions more for America’s border security and other national security needs.
Mr. Biden is pressing the House GOP majority not to abandon Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also says the funding is vital to strengthen America’s industrial base while weakening a rival army in Russia.
Yet Mr. Johnson faces unique political pressures. Many House Republicans insist they support Ukraine but do not want to write a blank check to Kyiv without clear objectives for winning the war.
“Now we can’t allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine, because I don’t believe it would stop there, and it would probably encourage and empower China to perhaps make a move on Taiwan. We have these concerns,” Mr. Johnson said.
“We’re not going to abandon [Ukraine],” he said. “But we have a responsibility, a stewardship responsibility, over the precious treasure of the American people, and we have to make sure that the White House is providing the people with some accountability for the dollars.”
Mr. Johnson said Republicans in his chamber will propose a standalone Israel funding bill that matches a companion measure in the Senate.
At least one GOP senator, J.D. Vance of Ohio, said he’s worried Mr. Johnson is too willing to send dollars to Ukraine.
“To his great credit, the new speaker has been a stalwart on the Ukraine issue — voting consistently against an endless conflict with no plan from the Biden administration,” Mr. Vance wrote on the X platform. “It’s concerning to see him change his tune so quickly after being elevated to this role.”
The Israel portion would assist the Middle East ally in its response to Hamas’ terror attack that killed over 1,000 people, including 30 Americans.
“One thing that House Republicans are resolved on is that we must stand with our most important ally in the Middle East, and that’s Israel. We will. We certainly hope that it doesn’t come to boots on the ground,” he said. “We deeply care and are concerned about all nations of free people around the world, but we have to take care of our own house first, and so that’s also part of this delicate calculation and the decision.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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