GOP had previously demanded Congress address US-Mexico border crossings before passing further foreign aid
House Republican leadership appears to be officially backing down from their demand for lawmakers to address border security before any further aid was passed to support Ukraine in its war against a Russian invasion.
The news was made on Thursday at the House Republican retreat, with Speaker Mike Johnson telling reporters that bills to further fund both Ukraine’s defence and Israel’s military effort against Hamas would be brought up separately in the coming weeks. There was no indication that Republicans would continue baulking at the idea of passing either of them without first striking some kind of deal on immigration reform or border security that could pass both chambers of Congress.
In December of last year, Mr Johnson had made that demand explicit, telling the White House in a letter: “[S]upplemental Ukraine funding is dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws”.
I wonder if this is why Ken Buck is leaving so soon, and why he thinks others will leave as well. That Discharge Petition needs a majority of the House to sign on, which means to work it needs a handful of Republicans. I bet Buck’s name is on it, and he and the other four or five names on it recognize that once it is public, their career as legislators in the MAGA party is effectively over.