A House Democrat has denounced Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) individual bill concerning funding for Israel as an “extremely disingenuous” move on Sunday.
Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) called Johnson’s announcement of a “clean, standalone” $17.6 billion Israel aid bill for an upcoming vote a “dirty” and “extremely disingenuous” tactic.
Johnson’s decision to offer a separate bill to approve aid for Israel has been met with criticism, with Himes suggesting that it could lead to a potential delay in reaching a border security package agreement and providing aid to Ukraine. He also expressed concerns that the move could undermine the opportunity to achieve progress on a generational border immigration deal.
The White House also condemned Johnson’s proposal, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stating that the administration had been working on a bipartisan national security agreement to address border security and provide support for Ukraine and Israel. Jean-Pierre described the timing of the Israel-only bill as a “cynical political maneuver” and emphasized the importance of safeguarding Israel’s security without making it a political issue.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Johnson addressed the criticism by stating that he had not been informed about the bipartisan Senate discussions on the border, while emphasizing that President Biden already possesses the necessary authority to act on border security. However, the White House criticized Johnson’s statements, characterizing them as contradictory and emblematic of his confusion on the issue.
