The Speaker of the House has signaled his commitment to aiding foreign nations.
Speaker Mike Johnson addressed questions about additional support for Israel and Ukraine during an event in Florida on Nov. 28.
"Israel is a top priority for the United States and supporting our ally there is critical," said Johnson while speaking at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
He lauded the passing of the bipartisan Israel Support Package shortly after he took over the leadership position. The package must now be voted on by the Senate.
"Ukraine is another priority," he added. “Of course, we can’t allow Vladimir Putin to march through Europe and we understand the necessity of assisting there.”
"What we've said is that if there is to be additional assistance to Ukraine — which most members of Congress believe is important — we have to also work on changing our own border policy,” the speaker said, adding that there have been a lot of “thoughtful” and “ongoing” negotiations regarding America’s border security.
As of October 2023, the U.S. had committed more than $260 billion in aid to Israel since World War II. That total does not include an additional $10 billion for the Iron Dome and other missile defense systems, according to U.S. News & World Report. Israel was the top recipient of American aid between 1974 and 2002.
The House passed the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 roughly a month after Hamas launched a series of attacks on Oct. 7. If passed by the Senate, the U.S. will provide an additional $14.3 billion in military aid.
“Our supplemental package, which is fully offset, provides Israel with advanced weapons systems, supports the Iron Dome missile defense system, and replenishes American domestic defense stockpiles. This is necessary and critical assistance as Israel fights for its right to exist,” Johnson said at the time, per The New York Post. “With antisemitism on the rise both domestically and abroad, it’s imperative that the US sends a message to the world that threats made against Israel and the Jewish people will be met with strong opposition.”
Between Jan. 24, 2022 and July 31, 2023, the Biden Administration sent over $75 billion to Ukraine – including $3.9 billion in humanitarian aid, $26.4 billion in financial aid, and $46.6 billion in military support. Russia officially invaded in February of 2022.
“U.S. and allied leaders consider Russia’s invasion a brutal and illegal war of aggression on NATO’s frontier that, if successful, would subjugate millions of Ukrainians; encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin’s revanchist aims; and invite similar aggression from other rival powers, especially China,” noted PBS. “Nineteen months into the war, the Biden administration had provided or agreed to provide Ukraine with a long list of defense capabilities, including Abrams battle tanks, anti-aircraft missiles, coastal defense ships, and advanced surveillance and radar systems.”
