Johnson emphasized at a press conference that “the House is actively considering options for foreign aid” while stressing the primary responsibility to fund the government to prevent a partial shutdown by Friday’s deadline.

When questioned about Ukraine after the press conference, Johnson informed reporters that “the House is looking at all available options right now, and we’ll address that as soon as the government is funded.”

Johnson met with President Biden and key congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday to discuss efforts to fund the government and advance the stalled foreign aid package.

According to participants, the meeting became intense at certain points, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer describing the discussion about Ukraine as one of the most intense Oval Office meetings he has attended. Biden, Schumer, Senator McConnell, and Senator Jeffries have all voiced support for providing additional aid to Ukraine, emphasizing the urgent need to assist the beleaguered U.S. ally.

While the Senate approved a USD 95 billion bill earlier this month that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, conservatives and Johnson have criticized it for a lack of border security policy.

Johnson has consistently argued that any aid for Ukraine must be paired with border security, contending that the U.S. should prioritize addressing its own border and national security before sending assistance overseas. However, earlier this month, he rejected a Senate bill containing a bipartisan border security agreement, stating it was infeasible in the House because the border provisions fell short.

On Thursday, Johnson reiterated his position that the U.S. must first address the situation at the border before sending more aid to Ukraine.

Johnson emphasized, “Our primary, overriding responsibility has been for the last three years to secure the border.”

“If we’re going to fix everything around the world, we need to fix America first and focus on America’s security,” he later added.