House Republicans Signal Uncertainty for Senate’s $95 Billion Foreign Aid Bill

The recent passing of a $95 billion foreign aid package in the Senate has been met with skepticism and uncertainty from House Republicans. The bill, which includes funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, was a hard-fought victory for Senate Democrats, but its future in the House remains uncertain.

Gary Palmer, the Republican Policy Committee Chairman, expressed his opposition to the bill, stating that it is “disconnected from reality” due to the lack of serious border security measures. He emphasized the importance of securing the southern border before sending foreign aid around the world.

Tom Emmer, the House Majority Whip, also weighed in, warning that the House would not simply “rubber stamp” whatever the Senate presented. He emphasized the need for any aid package to secure the borders as well.

Speaker Mike Johnson signaled that the House may not even consider the package in its current form, stating that the mandate of national security supplemental legislation was to secure America’s own border before sending additional foreign aid.

Despite these warnings, Senate Democrats are celebrating their victory and urging the House to vote on the bill. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, even accused House Republicans of kowtowing to former President Donald Trump and his MAGA acolytes.

However, the House Republicans’ stance on the issue is not new. They have long demanded that the Biden administration address the border crisis before they can support aid to other countries. The issue of foreign aid has become increasingly polarizing within the GOP.

The failure of an earlier $118 billion aid package, which included border and immigration reforms, highlights the difficulty of finding a compromise on the issue. Republicans in the House and Senate had closed ranks and demanded action on the border crisis before they could support aid to Ukraine.

The Senate’s quick passage of the bill without addressing the border crisis has been criticized by some as an unconstitutional breach into another branch of government. The House has the power to originate spending bills, and some argue that the Senate’s actions are a violation of this constitutional provision.

The future of the foreign aid bill remains uncertain, with House Republicans signaling that they will not simply rubber-stamp whatever the Senate sends over. The issue of border security and foreign aid is likely to remain a contentious one in the coming weeks and months.

Elizabeth Elkind is a reporter for Fox News Digital focused on Congress as well as the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics. Follow her on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.