NBC29: Central Virginia’s Representatives divided over national security package

NBC29, MAGGIE GLASS

Republican Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Wednesday raised alarms regarding a serious national security threat and called on President Biden to declassify the information.

This comes as the Republican House Speaker holds off on a Senate-passed $95 billion national security package.

The package would send aid to U.S. allies, including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

“We shouldn’t be borrowing $100 billion from our kids and grandkids and sending it overseas,” Fifth District Representative Bob Good said.

Good says he is against the bill, which sits in the hands of House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“I don’t support further aid to Ukraine, we’ve already sent them $113 billion,” Good said.

Instead, Good is pushing for separate funding bills for separate issues overseas.

“Israel funding shouldn’t be held hostage to whether or not we want to send money to Ukraine or Taiwan or even to Hamas,” Good said.

But first and foremost, he wants the focus to be on securing our borders here at home.

“We shouldn’t be more concerned about defending other countries when we’re not concerned about defending our country,” Good said.

Seventh District Representative Abigail Spanberger agrees the country’s border security desperately needs reform, but that it’s a separate conversation.

“We must bring an additional bill forward,” Spanberger said.

Good says right now the bill does not have majority of republicans support, but Spanberger says if it was brought to a vote, it would have enough.

“The speaker of the house has indicated an unwillingness to bring forth a bill that we know would pass with overwhelming bipartisan support,” Spanberger said.

If the aid package dies, Spanberger warns the consequences would be dire.

“Russia is watching, China is watching, North Korea’s watching, Iran is watching. And we are jeopardizing our own security as well as those of our partners,” Spanberger said.

The national security aid package will have to brought to the floor by Johnson in order for the house to take a vote.