Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 5, 2023, in Washington. (Drew Angerer, Getty Images/TNS)
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday a brewing Senate deal tying immigration to emergency aid for Ukraine would be impossible to pass in his Republican-controlled chamber.
“If rumors of the draft proposal are true,” Johnson wrote in a letter to fellow House Republicans, noting the Senate talks appear stalled, “it would have been dead on arrival in the House, anyway.”
Republicans have insisted that any aid to Ukraine be tied to border policy, which Senate negotiators are working on. But former president and likely Republican nominee Donald Trump has publicly and privately pressured Republicans to reject anything less than a “perfect” deal, an aggressive stance aimed at scuttling talks and giving him an issue to run on ahead of the November presidential election.
Johnson did not specify what rumored parts of a Senate plan he objects to; but major sticking points in the talks have included changes to asylum policy and humanitarian aid.
Johnson’s letter notes it has been nine months since the GOP-led House passed its own border legislation, which he said contains the “core” legislative reforms that are necessary for President Joe Biden “to resolve the border catastrophe.”
But Democrats in both chambers have widely opposed the House-passed bill, which would narrow asylum eligibility, require more migrants to be locked up in detention facilities, and restart border wall construction, among other actions.
Johnson also raised questions about whether Biden would enforce new immigration laws, asserting he won’t enforce the laws now on the books.
“He should sign an order right now to end the mass release of illegals and dangerous persons into our country,” he wrote.
Johnson also wrote the House would vote on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “as soon as possible” after a committee votes on articles next week.
Johnson also accused Biden and Mayorkas of willfully ignoring and undermining the nation’s immigration laws in ways that have opened up the border, and that it is “by necessity,” the House will move forward next week with impeaching the Homeland Security secretary.
Ellen M. Gilmer contributed to this report.
