White House slams House Republicans again for going on recess instead of taking action on Ukraine aid

 White House spokesperson Andrew Bates attacked Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson over not putting the $95 billion foreign aid package on the floor for a vote, accusing him of putting "his own internal politics above the safety of the American people" in a new memo Wednesday morning. “The damage House Republicans are actively causing to American national security mounts every day that they insist on continuing their two-week vacation,” Bates wrote. 

The memo also slams Johnson for not having the House in session and includes a “Vacation Reading Packet for the House Republican Conference.”

Some context: It’s the latest example of US President Joe Biden’s administration criticizing House Republicans for not taking up the national security supplemental that would provide critical aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

So far, Johnson has resisted calls to bring the Senate-passed aid package up for a quick vote – a move that would require Democratic support and almost certainly spark a revolt from his right flank. The speaker has said the legislation, which includes over $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine, would not pass in its current form, and privately told Republicans during a closed-door meeting last week there is “no rush” to address the issue.

As he comes under increasing pressure, Johnson released a statement over the weekend in response to Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny’s death. In it, he called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “vicious dictator” who must be “met with opposition,” though he did not outline any plans for doing so.