WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Newly elected U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said on Thursday that funding to support Ukraine and Israel should be handled separately, suggesting he will not back President Joe Biden’s $106 billion aid package for both countries.
Johnson, who was speaking in an interview on Fox News, said he met with Biden on Thursday and said he told White House staff “our consensus among House Republicans is we need to bifurcate those issues.”
Biden wants Congress to provide $106 billion in supplemental funding, with the bulk of the money going to bolster Ukraine’s defenses and the remainder split among Israel, Indo-Pacific and border enforcement.
Biden is betting that including money for Israel and immigration will help convince House Republicans wary of sending additional money to Ukraine to support the measure.
(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Jamie Freed)
