Republican Speaker of the House: Now is not the time for comprehensive immigration reform.
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Fox News blasts Republicans for killing "strongest" border bill
Chief Political Analyst hits out at Congress for so far failing to pass funding for border security and aid for Ukraine.
www.newsweek.com
Fox News Blasts Republicans for Killing 'Strongest' Border Bill
Published Feb 15, 2024 at 5:40 AM ESTUpdated Feb 15, 2024 at 5:42 AM ESTHouse Votes To Impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
The Chief Political Analyst at Fox News has criticized hardline Republicans for killing a border bill negotiated in the Senate.
"I think these are a couple of issues that put Republicans in peril of looking like literally a do-nothing Congress," Brit Hume told the station on Wednesday, referring to the border security bill shot down by the House and the potential rejection of funding for Ukraine.
The Context
The GOP-led House struck down the $118 billion bill in the Senate on February 7, with conservative hardliners arguing the legislation does not go far enough in its efforts to end illegal immigration.
A bill of around $95.3 billion in Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan was approved in a vote in the Senate on Tuesday, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has said it won't make it to the House floor.
The package includes $9.15 billion in humanitarian aid to give to conflict zones like Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine.
Hume argued Republicans were "in danger of losing the advantage they have vis à vis Biden on the issue of the border and on the issue of Ukraine funding, Israel funding, funding to defend Taiwan because they are refusing to act on these measures that would deal with that..."
Newsweek has approached Speaker Johnson's office for comment via an email outside of working hours.
Views
In a statement on Monday, Johnson said: "[In] the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters."
Texas National Guard troops try to untangle an immigrant caught in razor wire after he crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into El Paso, Texas on January 31 from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Republican hardliners said a deal... MoreJOHN MOORE/GETTY IMAGES
The following day, President Joe Biden urged Johnson to bring the bill to the House so it could be passed. "I call on the speaker to let the full House speak its mind and not allow a minority of the most extreme voices in the House to block this bill even from being voted on," the president said.
"This bipartisan bill sends a clear message to Ukrainians and to our partners and to our allies around the world—America can be trusted, America can be relied upon and America stands up for freedom," Biden continued. "We stand strong for our allies, we never bow down to anyone, and certainly not to Vladimir Putin."
What's Next?
Johnson and Republican hardliners have demanded the foreign aid package include funding for border security. They rejected the $118 billion aid package, including $20 billion for securing the U.S.-Mexico border, brought by a group of Senate Republicans and Democrats last week.
Konstantin Nikolaev—the Putin ally behind Mike Johnson campaign donation
The Russian oligarch gave money to the Republican's 2018 congressional campaign via a U.S-based company in which he owned a majority.
www.newsweek.com
Who Is Konstantin Nikolaev? Putin Ally Behind Mike Johnson Campaign Donation
Published Feb 16, 2024 at 8:09 AM ESTUpdated Feb 23, 2024 at 1:12 PM EST00:47
Who Is Konstantin Nikolaev? Putin Ally Behind Mike Johnson Campaign Donation
News of money previously given to House Speaker Mike Johnson's congressional campaign by Russian nationals has re-emerged after the Republican rejected a $95 billion foreign aid bill passed in the Senate.
In 2018, a group of Russians were able to donate to Johnson's bid for the Louisiana seat he eventually won as the money was funneled through the Texas-based American Ethane company.
While American Ethane was co-founded by American John Houghtaling, at the time it was 88 percentowned by three Russian nationals—Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev. Nikolaev is known to be a top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A spokesperson for Johnson previously assured in 2018 that the campaign returned the money that was given to them by American Ethane once it was "made aware of the situation." There was no indication that Johnson's campaign team willfully broke federal law, which makes it illegal for a campaign to knowingly accept donations from a foreign-owned corporation, a foreign national, or any company owned or controlled by foreign nationals.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) talks to reporters during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on February 14, 2024 in Washington, DC. A group of Russian nationals were able... MoreCHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
A number of social media users have now brought up the campaign money amid Johnson's oppositionto the long-debated foreign aid bill, which would send $60 billion to Ukraine as the country continues to fight off Russia's invasion.
In a press conference on February 14, Johnson said he would not bring the bill recently passed by the Senate back from a House vote and that the "Republican-led House will not be jammed or forced into passing" the foreign aid bill.
The same day, Ukraine-based blog Fake Off posted on X, formerly Twitter: "US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson received campaign contributions from American Ethane, a company 88% owned by three Russians. Now, do you understand why he was categorically against the aid to Ukraine?"
Another social media user added, while sharing a clip of Johnson's press conference: "Astonishing that the Speaker of the House for the United States Government accepts money from Russia. Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev own 88 percent of American Ethane."
Johnson's office has been contacted for comment via email.
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Who Is Konstantin Nikolaev?
The 52-year-old is a billionaire who previously served as minister of transport for the Russian Federation.
Nikolaev and his two partners currently own a third of Globaltrans, Russia's biggest private rail transport operator, and he previously worked in railroad freight and port businesses.
He is also a part owner of Tula Cartridge Works, which has been supplying ammunition for Russian forces during its invasion of Ukraine.
In 2019, Forbeslisted the oligarch's net worth at $1.2 billion.
Nikolaev is also known for being a financial backer of Maria Butina, a Russian citizen who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2019 after admitting to acting as an unregistered foreign agent to infiltrate conservative political groups and influence foreign policy to Russia's benefit before and after the 2016 election.
The money that Nikolaev and the other two Russian nationals managed to donate to Johnson's 2018 campaign was also brought up after the Republican was elected House Speaker last October,
"Putin pal Konstantin Nikolaev, who handled Russian spy Maria Butina, was also the principal stockholder in American Ethane Co. when they donated over $37,000 to Mike Johnson's election campaign. Does anyone else think that might be a problem?" posted X user @Davegreenidge57.