Published December 9, 2023
President Joe Biden‘s request for billions in aid to Ukraine and Israel failed to advance the Senate this week over a dispute on fixing the southern border crisis that has worsened on his watch.
Biden offered money for more personnel at the border in his request for emergency aid for Ukraine‘s fight against Russia and for Israel‘s war against Hamas following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. Republicans want deeper policy reforms that could stem the surge of immigrants, but disagreements with Democrats on a border deal managed to blow up the entire aid bill.
A procedural vote Wednesday on the $111 billion aid legislation failed 49-51, far short of the 60-vote threshold needed to move forward. In the aftermath, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and other Republicans urged Biden to get involved to forge an agreement.
“Here’s what’s next: The commander-in-chief, Joe Biden, needs to wake up and do something about a broken border. It’s his job above all others to secure the nation,” Graham said at a press conference Thursday.
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SOURCE: www.washingtonexaminer.com
RELATED: New US aid for Ukraine by year-end seems increasingly of out reach as GOP ties it to border security
FILE – President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington. A deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President Joe Biden. Republicans are insisting on pairing the funding with changes to America’s immigration and border policies. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Published December 9, 2023
WASHINGTON (AP) — A deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President Joe Biden. The impasse is deepening in Congress despite dire warnings from the White House about the consequences of inaction as Republicans insist on pairing the aid with changes to America’s immigration and border policies.
After the Democratic president said this past week he was willing to “make significant compromises on the border,” Republicans quickly revived demands that they had earlier set aside, hardening their positions and attempting to shift the negotiations to the right, according to a person familiar with the talks who was not authorized to publicly discuss them and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The latest proposal, from the lead GOP negotiator, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., came during a meeting with a core group of senators before they left Washington on Thursday afternoon. It could force the White House to consider ideas that many Democrats will seriously oppose, throwing new obstacles in the difficult negotiations.
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SOURCE: www.westernslopenow.com
RELATED: Immigration talks collapse, threatening to sink aid to Israel and Ukraine
Senate negotiations on tougher asylum and parole laws broke down. Republicans say they will block Biden’s security and foreign aid request without adequate immigration changes.
Published December 4, 2023
WASHINGTON — The collapse of Senate immigration negotiations is threatening to derail President Joe Biden’s national security package, including aid to Israel and Ukraine, even as the White House makes a renewed push on Capitol Hill.
Republicans have vowed to filibuster Biden’s aid package unless Democrats agree to tighten U.S. asylum and parole laws in immigration proceedings. But bipartisan negotiations on a border policy deal, led by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., faltered on Friday amid deep disagreements between the two parties, according to congressional aides with knowledge of the talks.
One Democratic aide said their negotiators have offered proposals to speed up and streamline processing of asylum claims, and even put on the table changes to the “credible fear” standard for having one’s claim approved, against the wishes of immigration advocates. But the aide said Republicans are insisting on “extreme policies” that would “end asylum as we know it” and create “expansive powers to shut down the border,” which they cannot stomach.
“Democrats realize that Republicans are unwilling or unable to compromise on a reasonable proposal that can pass,” the aide said.
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SOURCE: www.nbcnews.com
