US House Speaker Mike Johnson has introduced four separate bills to aid Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan on national security priorities, The Hill reports.
Johnson unveiled his proposal during a closed-door GOP House conference on Monday after months of postponing any action on the politically charged topic.
According to two Republican lawmakers who attended the meeting, the plan is to move the four bills under one procedural rule that would allow for amendments.
The fourth bill, related to national security, according to one Republican lawmaker, would include a ban on TikTok, a provision to allow the US to use confiscated Russian assets to help Ukraine, a lend-lease act for military aid, and convertible loans for humanitarian aid.
However, the current plan does not include any provisions on the border, which, according to Republican Party spokesman Kevin Hearn, could spark opposition among hardline conservatives who argue that any aid to Ukraine should be coupled with legislation to address the situation on the southern border.
Johnson made his plan public on social network X. He wrote that he had spoken with Republicans in the US House of Representatives about his plan for additional national security legislation due to the growing crisis.
According to him, this week, congressmen will consider separate bills "with a structured and appropriate amendment process" to:
- Funding for Israel;
- Support of Ukraine in the war;
- Strengthening allies in the Indo-Pacific region;
- Taking additional measures to counter enemies and strengthen national security.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said that President Joe Biden's administration opposes the separation of aid to Ukraine and Israel in the bill.
Kirby, in particular, criticized the plan of House Speaker Mike Johnson to introduce a separate bill to fund Israel, saying that the White House would not support this option.
"We will oppose a separate bill that will be aimed only at Israel," he said.
For her part, Jean-Pierre called for the adoption of the bill already approved by the Senate in the amount of 95 billion.
