McConnell, Senate GOP struggle to save border deal, defying Trump
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leaders worked to save an emerging Ukraine and migration deal Thursday in the face of increased pressure by presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump to stop the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that the talks on border policy — for which he has relentlessly advocated — are still ongoing and dismissed Trump’s opposition to any compromise as “nothing new.”
During a closed-door meeting Wednesday evening, McConnell told GOP senators that Trump’s opposition is weighing on the talks and argued that they should move quickly to finish an agreement, lawmakers and aides said. McConnell is especially concerned that an impasse on the border would deny Ukraine the $61 billion in aid that the White House has requested, and cause it to lose the war against Russia.
Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford, the top GOP negotiator, who said he hasn’t talked to Trump for months, said McConnell merely acknowledged the “elephant in the room”: that political pressure is rising as the November election approaches.
By Thursday, senior Republicans were making the case publicly.
“If it is the right policy then there are a lot of people who want to support it,” said number two Republican John Thune, adding negotiators need to “drive hard” for a deal quickly or go to “Plan B.” He was vague on what “Plan B” would be.
The emerging deal would tighten standards for claiming asylum, give border officials new powers to expel migrants at the border, and set new limits on the president’s ability to let migrants into the country under parole authority. The exact contours remain under wraps.
Republicans have insisted that any aid to Ukraine be tied to border policy. Trump has publicly and privately pressured Republicans to reject anything less than a “perfect” deal, an aggressive stance aimed at scuttling talks and giving him an issue to run on ahead of the November presidential election.
South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds acknowledged that not having a deal could hurt Biden at the polls but said it would be wrong to delay for that reason.
“The politics would suggest that you let him boil in his own oil,” Rounds said of Biden. “But that’s not good for the country.”
Rounds said he came to the Senate to do hard deals like negotiate on border policy.
However, a group of GOP conservatives has made clear they oppose the emerging compromise. Ohio’s J.D. Vance said it is “weak sauce” and that leadership is forcing GOP senators to vote for a deal that is dead in the House.
The fears of a Ukraine bill dying in the House have grown as Speaker Mike Johnson has continued to insist that a wish list of conservative policies be attached to it, such as completion of a border wall.
After another week of talks, core negotiators indicated they were on the verge of announcing a deal among themselves. Arizona Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said on X that a deal is “very close.” Democratic negotiator Chris Murphy said the deal is 90% done.