The White House Welcomes House Speaker's Plan to Aid Israel and Ukraine, But Urges Swift Action

The White House stated that at first glance, the proposal by House Speaker Mike Johnson for a series of bills aimed at providing aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan seems to align with the national security priorities of the government, but action must be taken quickly. The National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator said on Tuesday to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Pennsylvania that the government is waiting to review the details of Mike Johnson's proposal before making any judgments. According to the White House, John Kirby emphasized that 'the important point is that our allies, like Ukraine and Israel, who are facing immediate threats, need to receive security assistance as soon as possible. Therefore, we want the House to make a decision this week.' While the White House announced a day earlier that it would oppose a standalone financial aid bill for Israel, the Republican House Speaker stated that lawmakers are working to pass a financial aid package for Israel this week, but the details are not yet finalized. White House officials have said that President Joe Biden consulted with Mike Johnson on this matter on Monday. The supplemental budget requested by the government to fund national security priorities was presented to Congress last October but has been stalled for months due to disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over major issues, including the security of the southern border. The increase in tensions in the Middle East, especially following the direct aerial attack by the Islamic Republic on Israel that began Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning, has heightened the urgency for immediate defensive assistance to Israel, a key U.S. ally in the region.