Posted on 12/05/2023 5:16:03 PM PST by SeekAndFind
House Speaker Mike Johnson issued an ultimatum to Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying there will be no more funding for Ukraine before the administration works with Congress first to make extensive reforms to the U.S. immigration system, creating an immediate dilemma for Biden.
Now we're talking. The question is, will Johnson stick to his guns?
Johnson's ultimatum was in response to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young sending a letter to House and Senate leaders on Monday warning that funding for Ukraine would likely run out by the end of the year. Young wrote, in part:
There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money—and nearly out of time. Cutting off the flow of U.S. weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories.
Already, our packages of security assistance have become smaller and the deliveries of aid have become more limited. If our assistance stops, it will cause significant issues for Ukraine.
This appears to put Biden between a rock and a hard place, which should be interesting.
Moreover, given the depth of the bitter chasm over border security and immigration reform in Congress, Johnson's ultimatum has teeth. That is, as I suggested, if he stands firm (yours truly said, with images of John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Mitch McConnell dancing menacingly in his head).
Johnson put it this way:
[Ukraine aid is] dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation's border security laws.
The Speaker first floated the idea of linking Ukraine aid and Biden's border disaster in November.
The American people feel very strongly about this, and I do as well. We have things that we can and should do around the world, but we have to take care of our own house first.
As long as the border is wide open, we're opening ourselves up for great threats. And again, it's just a matter of principle that if we're going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America's as well. And I think there's bipartisan support for that idea.
Bingo: "If we're going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America's as well." Name one country on the planet whose leaders — other than the Biden administration, that is —disagree with that statement.
Not to belabor the point, but based on the weak-kneed pattern of the previously-named former Speakers — and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell — I'd venture a bet that a majority of Republican voters (including this one) familiar with Johnson's ultimatum are skeptical as hell.
In other words, Mr. Speaker, words — particularly ultimatums — without actions to back up those words are cheap.
Make that worse than cheap. Why? Because Democrats are like spoiled children. Threaten to punish a spoiled child without following through, and what message does that send to the kid? Exactly.
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Do the America First Option here. Get your immigration reform and then kindly tell the neocons and globalists, screw you, Still, no more for Uke corruption.
“Why do we conflate two disparate ideas.
Our border needs to be secured and our illegals deported. it has nothing to do with any other country.”
Well, the constitution established a bicameral legislative system; thus, there has to be some kind of agreement between the two houses of Congress. It is basically a “you scratch my back; I’ll scratch your back” arrangement. As the old adage says: You don’t want to know how sausage is made or how laws are made.
Do you have a problem with a bicameral system? I think it was a wise inclusion in our constitution: No one house has complete power.
Yes, and how about not funding anything and shut down the damned feds when this current CR runs out shortly, it is all printed money anyway. However the GOPe/deep state won’t stand for it, the younger generations have no idea what is being done to them.
Watch out for the Turtle and Schmuck in the Senate. They will say BOO and Repubs in the House will pee their pants!
Johnson is fighting it’s just that too many of his teammates are cowards.
Yup, bout dam time. Next look for the rinos and uniparty establishment to take him down.
It’s about time, even though I share the skepticism, I’m willing to hold judgment. It is well past time for a GOP leader to face down Biden mano a mano on the border. Let’s see what happens.
Not one *amn dime more for Ukraine, what part of NO don’t we understand.
Like Congressman Massie was saying to Tucker hours ago we’ve sent Ukraine twice as much as we spend on roads and bridges in the US in a year.
And once the war is over we’ll be asked to send money to Ukraine to repair all the roads and bridges destroyed during the war.
The USA 33 trillion in the hole ain’t got no more money honey.
Bravo Sierra Kabuki Theater no more money for Ukraine we don’t have any more money in this country to give to them.
The problem is Ukraine get the money and weapons now, and the border gets secured sometime in the future.
Tell them Ukraine gets the money once the Wall is built, and there will be speed of construction that hasn’t happened since WW2.
AND lining their own nests and wallets.
Much as I support aid to Ukraine
There are ways for a girl like you to kick in on a personal basis. I’m sure Zelensky will thank you.
Are they all women ?
What about Williams and Ancell12 ?
That, too.
“Why do we conflate two disparate ideas?”
It’s called “leverage”. Look into it.
L
The Founders only made one gigantic mistake in forging the Constitution, The Great Compromise. However little did they know that the senate would be someday controlled by a political party these past decades (the uniparty the last few generations) rather than each state - and of course the 17th Amendment sending our country into socialism and now communism at least when it comes to the feds.
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