Biden backs Johnson plan for Ukraine, Israel; calls for vote this week

President Biden on Wednesday came out in support of Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) proposal for three separate bills providing U.S. aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific, urging passage of the bills this week.

“The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow. I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed,” Biden said in a statement.

“I strongly support this package to get critical support to Israel and Ukraine, provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, and bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Israel is facing unprecedented attacks from Iran, and Ukraine is facing continued bombardment from Russia that has intensified dramatically in the last month,” the president continued. 

Johnson unveiled text for three national security supplemental bills earlier Wednesday, with the text of a fourth bill expected to be forthcoming. 

The president’s backing of the bills gives a green light to Democrats to join Republicans voting in favor of the foreign aid bills. Johnson’s decision to move forward separate bills for foreign aid is an attempt to allow Republican critics of sending aid abroad to vote “no” without killing all of the U.S. national security priorities.