Speaker Johnson: We Need Transformative Change at the Border

JOHNSON: "October, November, December alone, we’ve had more illegal crossings at the border than in any entire year during the Obama Administration. The American people see this, they feel it acutely, they see all the terrible societal ills that come from this, and it must be addressed. So I’ve made this very clear, again, from the very beginning, when I was handed the gavel, we needed clarity on what we’re doing in Ukraine, and how we’ll have proper oversight of the spending of precious taxpayer dollars of American citizens. And we needed a transformative change at the border Thus far, we’ve gotten neither. The Senate has been MIA on this. The House passed H.R. 2, six months ago, more than six months ago. It’s been sitting and collecting dust on Chuck Schumer’s desk. I have told him personally, I’ve told the National Security adviser, the secretary of state and the secretary of Defense, that these are our conditions, because these are the conditions of the American people. And we are resolute on that. It is not the House’s issue right now. The issue is with the White House and the Senate. And I implore them to do their job because the time is urgent and we do want to do the right thing here.”

BAIER: “Is it possible that a no Ukraine aid could happen in the Republican caucus?”

Johnson: “Well, listen, I think that there is the majority of the Republicans and the Democrats in the House, by way of example, would vote for Ukraine aid if there is sufficient clarity on these questions. And also, of course, if we have really transformational change at the U.S. border.

If we are going to have a national security package of spending, national security begins at our own border. This is about our own sovereignty. These are policy changes that could be easily made but the White House has been very reluctant. They really went silent on us all of this time. I have been the speaker for a little over six weeks, almost seven weeks, and since the day I was handed the gavel, I have been saying that this was the condition, that we had to do this first. And we passed H.R. 2, the House passed our bill six months ago. It’s been sitting on the desk of Chuck Schumer ever since. They have not taken us seriously and here we are at the end of the year, and now they’re saying we’ve run out of time.

the House will do its work if there was a deal. But it has not materialized. And as of tonight, they have given us the cold shoulder. So they are ignoring this, what I believe is a top priority of the American people. It doesn’t matter where I have been in the country over the last few weeks, Bret, whether I’m in New York or southeast or out west, they all say the same thing. They are deeply concerned about what’s happening. We had 12,000 people come over that border one day last week, on Wednesday. If you look at the statistics from October, November, and so far in December, more people have crossed that border illegally since any entire year at the end of the Obama Administration. It is not a sustainable situation. It is harming our country in ways that are hard to describe, and we have to get on top of it.”

BAIER: “So, what’s the red line when it comes to border policy to get the supplemental through?”

Johnson: “Listen, the House’s position is H.R. 2. It has very important provisions like asylum reform, parole reform, the end of the catch and release policies, the Remain in Mexico —“

BAIER: “And if they don’t go all the way to H.R. 2, could they get some place that’s satisfactory?”

Johnson: “It’s — that’s our position, but they have yet to come back and even volley anything over the net. So, that’s our position and we have been very resolute about that.”