White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest slammed the House GOP’s $659 million border crisis package Tuesday as too skimpy to address the crisis and containing partisan provisions that could prove unworkable, although he stopped short of a veto threat.  

Earnest said House Republicans haven’t treated the border crisis with the same level of “urgency” as President Barack Obama, who requested $3.7 billion for the border crisis. And he ripped the GOP for not adding funding for wildfires or for Israel’s Iron Dome . In particular, Earnest opposed a requirement that unauthorized immigrant children get a judicial review within seven days, a provision he said was “arbitrary.” He said that what the White House wanted was more flexibility in dealing with the children related to a 2008 law, not less.  

But when asked whether the president would veto the bill, Earnest said the White House is still reviewing it.  

Earlier, House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., said some Democrats might back the package but GOP leaders will be “throwing dice” if they need their votes.