House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday defended the push for a independent account After the Senate struck to help Israel a preliminary immigration agreement intends to vote this week.
Interview moderator Kristen Welker, R-La., on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” program. Johnson was asked whether he would propose the independent Israeli aid package he first announced in his letter to his colleagues on Saturday. Agreement in the Senate.
“No, we’ve made it very clear what the demands of the House are, and that’s to fix the problem at the border,” he said, adding that the House is “waiting” for action from the Senate.
Johnson said the House was not offered a briefing on the Senate’s initial deal on immigration and aid to Israel.
“Have you been offered a briefing on this compromise bill and are you going to take it?” Welker asked.
“Well, when they started negotiating, I suggested right after I picked up the gavel, I suggested to the Senate leadership that the House be involved – we should be in the room,” he said. “I wanted to send the chairmen of our jurisdictional committees to participate in the negotiations. And they said: “No, no. Let the Senate deal with it.”
Welker pressed Johnson again: “But they offered you a briefing?”
“No, I haven’t been,” he said. “No, individual senators called me and gave me advice and suggested what was going on in the room. But we were not part of these negotiations.”
Welker asked Johnson who former President Donald Trump was He opposes the Senate immigration dealsingle-handedly played a role in the decision to advance the Israeli bill.
“You said that you talked to him often and discussed this contract with him for a long time. Mr. Speaker, is Donald Trump addressing this issue?” Welker asked.
“Of course not, he doesn’t call these shots. I’m calling the shots for the House of Representatives, it’s our responsibility,” he said. “And I’ve been saying this for a lot longer than President Trump.”
Johnson alone argued that the Israel bill was a necessary step in the absence of leadership from other corners of the government.
“We can’t wait any longer. He is ready to lead the House of Representatives, and the reason we are dealing with this situation in Israel right now is because of the escalation of the situation,” he said recently. air strikes The US has targeted Iranian-backed armed groups in response to the killing of three American soldiers.
Before Johnson’s appearance, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told Welker that the Biden administration was treating the letter as a “trick.”
“We think this gimmick — and we think it’s the gimmick that’s being pushed in the House right now — is not a serious effort to deal with the national security challenges facing America,” he said. about “Meet the press.“
Sullivan did not respond to Welker’s question about whether President Joe Biden would sign the Israel aid bill on his own, but National Security Council spokesman John Kirby previously said Biden would not. saying In November, “The President will veto a single Israeli bill.” We, I think we have made it clear.”