Johnson privately told House Republicans he would refuse Senate border deal, lawmaker says
Fox News
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., privately told House Republicans that he will not accept whatever border security deal comes out of current talks between the Senate and White House, a GOP lawmaker familiar with the call said.
His GOP Conference held a conference call Sunday night, when Johnson held firm on his position that the House would not back anything less than Republicans’ Secure the Border Act, known as H.R.2, the lawmaker said.
Fox News Digital was told that border security negotiations became the main topic of discussion, with lawmakers discussing how to force passage of conservative border policies.
It comes as a bipartisan group of senators is discussing what kind of border policy compromises could be reached in exchange for Republican support for Democrats’ $110 billion supplemental funding request for Ukraine, Israel and other humanitarian causes.
Republicans on the call were told that the Senate is nearing a deal, the lawmaker said. One has not yet been announced.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for further comment.
Johnson has maintained both in public and private that the House GOP’s default position is H.R.2, the immigration and border bill that passed the House along party lines in May.
The bill, which includes a return to Trump administration-era policies like Remain in Mexico and construction of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, has been labeled a nonstarter by the Democrat-held Senate and White House.
Johnson pledged on the call to “use every tool we can” to get H.R.2 passed, Fox News Digital was told.
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A second GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital after the call, “I don’t think any Republican in the House wants the Senate deal.”
“Where’s the border security in it? We need H.R.2 or a functional alternative, but the speaker makes a good point when he says the president unilaterally made over 60 policy changes that dismantled our border security and got us here,” the second lawmaker said. “He can unilaterally fix it today without any legislative action.”
Last week, Johnson’s office put out a memo pointing out 64 policy decisions by Biden and his officials that Republicans argue have undermined border security over the last two years.