Republican House speaker doubles down on demand as Ukraine’s president will appeal to senators for more cash to fight Russia

House Speaker Mike Johnson told fellow Republicans on Tuesday that sweeping changes to U.S. border policy would be their “hill to die on” in negotiations over President Joe Biden’s nearly $106 billion package for the wars in Ukraine and Israel and other security needs.

The GOP’s demands could imperil any legislation that emerges from the Senate, where a bipartisan group is trying to find agreement on a pared-down set of border policy proposals.

The clock is ticking for lawmakers to pass the White House's aid plan for Ukraine and Israel. House Speaker Mike Johnson is among the Republicans demanding that any national security package begins with securing the southern border.

Republican U.S. congressional leaders insisted on Tuesday that any new aid for Ukraine be combined with major changes in immigration policy, threatening to derail President Joe Biden's request for billions of dollars for Kyiv's fight against Russia.

WASHINGTON—House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) said Republicans need broad changes to U.S. border and immigration policy as a condition for joining Democrats to pass tens of billions of dollars in aid sought by Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The Biden administration is warning Congress of the need to approve tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Ukraine.

The Republican leader of the U.S. House of Representatives reiterated his request for more information about Ukraine strategy and Republican demands for changes in immigration policy on Tuesday, continuing a weeks-long impasse between the parties over security assistance for Kyiv.

A procedural vote on Ukraine aid is expected to fail after Republicans walked out of a briefing amid an unrelated immigration policy spat.

If Congress does not act, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to deliver more weapons and equipment to Ukraine and to supply material from US military stockpiles,” wrote White House Budget Director Shalanda Young in a letter addressed to Mike Johnson,