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President Joe Biden’s administration has reportedly made a last-minute push for Ukraine aid in the upcoming government spending bill Congress will need to pass by December 20.
The Office of Management and Budget sent a request in late November urging Congress to approve another $24 billion of emergency funding toward weapons and equipment for Ukraine in the upcoming funding package. Speaker Mike Johnson, however, has expressed disinterest in approving additional aid.
‘It is not the place of Joe Biden to make that decision now.’
“I’m not planning to do that,” Johnson said during a press conference Wednesday when asked about Biden’s request.
“There are developments by the hour in Ukraine,” Johnson continued. “I think, as we predicted and as I said to all of you weeks before the election, if Donald Trump is elected, it will change the dynamic of the Russian war on Ukraine. And we’re seeing that happen.”
Johnson noted that he would prioritize the suggestions of incoming President-elect Donald Trump over the current Biden administration.
“It is not the place of Joe Biden to make that decision now,” Johnson said during the press conference. “We have a newly elected president, and we’re going to wait and take the new commander in chief’s direction on all of that.”
Congress will have to pass another funding bill by December 20 in order to avoid a government shutdown before the holidays. Johnson noted earlier this week that he is expecting the funding to go into March while others within the conference have advocated for a funding bill that would go into January.
The reality is the longer the funding bill is extended, the less wiggle room for the incoming administration to set its legislative agenda.
Republicans are also expecting at least three vacancies in the upcoming Congress due to Trump’s nominations, tightening the already slim House majority. As a result, Republicans will likely have to rely on Democrats to approve a spending bill, weakening their bargaining power.
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