House Republicans now want border security they killed back in Ukraine bill

WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers now want the border security deal that they turned down after reports that Donald Trump ordered the leadership he didn't want another "win" under Joe Biden's presidential belt.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is now calling on Speaker Mike Johnson to take up the Ukraine/Israel funding bill, but several GOP House members told Raw Story that they "need" border security in the bill.

Last week, it was so toxic that Republican Sen. James Lankford (OK) became a huge target on the right for helping to negotiate the legislation.

“It’s obvious to me they don’t want to do anything,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ). "I mean, they had a great deal that included border security and all the funding for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, the humanitarian system which most of the Republican senators were willing to support. Now, they have 70 members, including a significant number of Republican senators who want to pass this package. They (the House GOP) want to scuttle that. They wanted only Israel aid, they couldn't pass that. It's just a do-nothing Republican leadership."

He said that they are simply following Trump's demands.

"He says do nothing. So they do nothing, and they're willing to do nothing," said Pallone. "Now, I don't know.... it's actually embarrassing. It's dangerous. It's all of the above."

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said that he doesn't want to vote on the aid package.

"I think you have to look at, [Rep. Steve] Scalise is back," he said of the Louisiana lawmaker who was in the hospital for cancer.

"So, it's a leadership requirement not just a Speaker, but the floor is typically controlled by the [Majority] Leader. So, I guess what I'd answer is I want to continue to push back on Russia and whatever vehicle does that I'm for," said Issa. "I certainly think we shouldn't take anything that comes from the Senate at face value. They don't take ours at face value."

He went on to say that the funding bill would pass with a majority and not just from one party. He encouraged Speaker Johnson to find out if he had a majority of Republicans or Democrats for the bill. What he is describing is "whipping" the votes, the job of the GOP Whip, who finds out where a vote stands.

"As Speaker of the whole House I think he has a responsibility," Issa continued.

Rep. Andy Harris (R-M.D.) joked that the Senate must have a lot of C.O.D.E.L.s (Congressional Member Delegations) heading out of Andrew's Air Force Base because the lawmakers were gone as of Tuesday morning.

When asked about the foreign aid funding bill, Harris said it was "D.O.A. baby, D.O.A."

His reasoning is that "it has no border control," the measure that Republicans said they wouldn't vote on.

It puts the country in a quandary because Republicans won't pass a foreign aid bill without border security but are refusing to pass any border security measures at all.

"You know Speaker Johnson said, or one of the senators said, in fact, Mitch McConnell said it has to have the border in it. It doesn't have the border in it. So, I guess we're going to see."

Harris went on to say that he opposed the Lankford compromise because it allowed for "illegal immigration."

Lankford disputed the claim when describing what the bill does to "Face the Nation" at the end of January.

Harris said that they should pass a bill that "chops it up," as they do with continuing resolutions, instead of providing a defense budget for over a year.

President Joe Biden explained in a press conference on Tuesday that the bill doesn't send a blank check to Ukraine, rather it sends a check to American companies that are crafting weapons that are then sent to Ukraine.

Raw Story caught up with Rep. Gary Palmer (R-A.L.) and asked what he thought about the early morning Senate vote of 70 to support the foreign aid funding bill. He said he didn't even know it happened and demanded the Senate take up their far-right border bill, which is expected to fail or be held up with a filibuster.