Speaker Johnson Sticks With Border ‘First’ Stance After White House Meeting

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) emerged from a White House meeting with President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders on Tuesday, saying he stood firm on his view that immediate action to secure the southern border is the nation’s top priority.

The meeting also included Vice President Kamala Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Although the Democrat leaders said afterward that an urgent push to provide more aid to war-torn Ukraine made for an “intense” but “productive” discussion, Johnson signaled that border security had to be addressed first and foremost.

“When I showed up today, my purpose was to express what I believe is the obvious truth, and that is that we must take care of America’s needs, first. When you talk about America’s needs, you have to talk first about our open border,” Johnson told reporters.