US Senate

Many senators noted progress in border negotiations, but their opinions were divided regarding the timing of the agreement.

Thus, Senator Joe Manchin said that a potential agreement on the border could be concluded as early as next week.

“I think our Republican and Democratic negotiators who are working very hard right now, doing a great job, and then, largely with the White House, are working to get this border under control. That’s what I’m very hopeful about, and I think we’ll see something next week and we’ll stay there until we do it,” he said on Sunday, December 17.

Sen. Chris Coons also said he hopes to reach a potential deal as early as next week. He said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he would “most likely” support the legislation. According to him, a breakdown in negotiations “would be a huge gift for Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Hamas.”

“Well, I need to know the final agreements, but I will most likely support the agreement. I spoke with some of the negotiators. They worked hard this weekend. I hope that we can come to an agreement next week,” Coons said .

Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he hopes talks on border security and a foreign aid package are moving forward as participants in the dialogue remain tight-lipped about when a potential agreement might be reached.

Republican Senator John Cornyn also noted progress in the negotiations, but did not voice the likely timeline.

“Yesterday I spoke with several key participants in the negotiations. They feel that they have made some progress. At the same time, some (Republican Senator Chuck Schumer – ed.) believe that some kind of agreement will be concluded behind closed doors and after it will be pushed through the Senate and then through the House. That’s not going to happen,” Cornyn said on “Fox News Sunday.”

At the same time, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham suggested that a border agreement would not be concluded until 2024. He accused the White House of choosing “bad policies” regarding the protection of the southern border.

“We are no closer to an agreement; it will be reached next year. The Biden administration’s policy choices have made the border a dangerous place to cross,” Graham said.

Next Round – House of Representatives

The Hill recalled that even if the Senate and the White House reach agreement on the border, the law will likely face an uphill battle in the House of Representatives. Some Republicans have signaled they will likely want tougher terms in the agreement than those proposed by the White House and the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Texas Republican Tony Gonzales said on “Face the Nation” that lawmakers must “sweeten the deal” on borders in order for an additional relief package to pass the House of Representatives. He added that the agreement between the Senate and the White House would be “significantly different” from the House’s expectations.

Problems with US financial assistance for Ukraine

In early October, President Joe Biden asked Congress for more than $106 billion for national security needs. Among them is new funding for assistance to Ukraine worth more than $61 billion.

However, on December 6, the Senate blocked the start of debate on this aid package. The reason was the Republicans’ demands to include in the bill a more stringent set of measures to protect the southern border with Mexico.

Republicans and Democrats have begun negotiations to reach a compromise on the issue. Against this background, the Senate decided to continue working before the Christmas break.

For more details about why the United States cannot agree on assistance to Ukraine, see the RBC-Ukraine article.

Read urgent and important messages about Russia’s war against Ukraine on the channel RBC-Ukraine on Telegram.

2023-12-18 01:42:00


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