During an interview aired on Tuesday’s “PBS NewsHour,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan acknowledged that the White House was the first to link Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and border money together, but “what the Republicans are putting forward is a take it or leave it proposition” and holding Ukraine money hostage, when they should have accepted what President Joe Biden put forward.
Co-host Geoff Bennett asked, “House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) says there will be no additional funding for Ukraine without first making extensive reforms to the U.S. immigration system. And it was the White House, not Republicans, who initially linked funding for Israel, funding for Ukraine, money for Taiwan, and border security. Why are the Republicans’ border demands now a nonstarter?”
Sullivan answered, “Well, you make a very good point, Geoff. It was, in fact, President Biden who put forward a supplemental funding request that included a substantial amount of funding for the border to enable us to have an effective and humane border security policy. And that should have bipartisan support. Democrats and Republicans should be able to come together around commonsense measures to ensure that our border policy is rational, effective, and humane. Democrats are ready to do that. It turns out that what the Republicans are putting forward is a take it or leave it proposition. They are not prepared to have a serious discussion at this time — hopefully, that will change — about border policy. And as a result, they’re holding Ukraine funding hostage to their demands on the border. Our view is that it is in America’s core national security interests to fund Ukraine against Putin, against Russian aggression. And we can work together on the border. But Ukraine should not be held hostage to the border. That would be a grave mistake for our own national security and for broader global stability.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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