House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday rejected the suggestion that former President Donald Trump should receive credit for the impending demise of a bipartisan deal in the Senate for a southern border security bill.
The legislation, expected to be released Sunday as part of a $110 billion national security package for Israel, Ukraine and Tawana, is dead on arrival in the House, Mr. Johnson has said.
“He’s not calling the shot. I am calling the shots for the House,” the Louisiana Republican said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I have been saying this far longer than President Trump has. I have been saying what the requirements are to fix the problem.”
Mr. Trump and House Republicans have sought to tank the deal, which includes a provision that mandatory expulsion authorities do not kick in until an average of 5,000 illegal crossings over a week span.
“What we’re saying is you have to stem the flow. The president has executive authority right now,” Mr. Johnson said. “As Congress does this negotiation and the debate and the discussion, the president could stop it.”
The Democrat-led Senate will vote on the border deal later this week, where its fate is uncertain.