President Joe Biden is continuing to push for key legislative action by Congress.
On the occasion of his recent signing of a government funding package, a prepared statement from the president pushed for members of the House and Senate to advance two key legislative proposals: a foreign aid package already passed by the Senate that includes support for Ukraine and a border and immigration deal characterized by some as among the strictest proposals in years. In tandem with opposition publicly expressed by former President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans voted down the latter initiative, for now.
“But I want to be clear: Congress’s work isn’t finished,” Biden’s statement said after recounting components to the new funding package for the federal government. “The House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interests. And Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement—the toughest and fairest reforms in decades—to ensure we have the policies and funding needed to secure the border. It’s time to get this done.”
Notably, the latest funding package passed the House with Democrats giving its proponents in the House’s leadership the votes they needed, with more House Democrats — the minority in the chamber — voting for it compared to the House Republicans backing it.
Some have suggested the foreign aid package would, in fact, pass in the House if actually put forward for a vote, but Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) has resisted that prospect. He said after that latest funding package was passed in his chamber that House legislators would present their own vision in that area soon.
“We will also take the necessary steps to address the supplemental funding request. We have done important work discussing options with members — such as the REPO Act, loans, additional sanctions, and energy exports, among other measures — and are preparing to complete our plan for action,” the Speaker’s prepared remarks said.
