"House Speaker Johnson and GOP Escalate Border Standoff, Pressuring Biden for Immigration Reform"
House Speaker Mike Johnson, during a visit to Eagle Pass, Texas, criticized President Biden for the ongoing issues at the US-Mexico border, labeling the situation a "catastrophe" and attributing it to policy failures rather than a lack of funding. Johnson, alongside over 60 House Republicans, expressed skepticism about bipartisan Senate negotiations on a border agreement, emphasizing the need for policy change over additional financial resources. The Biden administration has requested $14 billion for border security in a supplemental funding package that also includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has called for immediate funding to address border security, technology, and asylum process improvements. Meanwhile, Congress faces the challenge of reaching a funding agreement to avoid a partial government shutdown.