Senators race to release their package of border policies, aid
Senators on Sunday raced to release a highly anticipated bill that pairs border enforcement policy with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies as part of a longshot effort to push the package through heavy skepticism from Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The proposal is the best chance for President Joe
Biden to resupply Ukraine with wartime aid — a major foreign policy goal that is shared with both the Senate’s top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and top Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell. The Senate was expected this week to hold a key test vote on the legislation, but it has already run into a wall of opposition from conservatives.
With Congress stalled on approving tens of billions of dollars in Ukraine aid, the U.S. has halted shipments of ammunition and missiles to Kyiv, leaving Ukrainian soldiers outgunned as they try to beat back Russia’s invasion.
In a bid to overcome opposition from House Republicans, McConnell had insisted last year that border policy changes be included in the national security funding package. The bill would overhaul the asylum system at the border with faster and tougher enforcement, as well as give presidents new powers to immediately expel migrants if authorities become overwhelmed with the number of people applying for asylum. However, in an election-year shift on immigration, Biden and many Democrats have embraced the idea of strict border enforcement, while Donald Trump and his allies have criticized the proposed measures as insufficient. They have also argued that presidents already have enough authority to curb illegal border crossings — a stance that would ensure immigration remains a major issue in the presidential election.
Johnson, a Republican of
Louisiana, in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” said he was unaware of the bill’s details but pointed to a House proposal of hardline immigration measures.
“What we’re saying is you have to stem the flow,” Johnson said.
He also made it clear that he — not Trump — would decide whether to bring the bill to the floor if it passes the Senate. But in a further sign that Johnson is resistant to the Senate package, he indicated Saturday that the House will vote on a separate package of $17.6 billion of military aid for Israel — a move that allows House Republicans to show support for Israel apart from the Senate deal.
“I feel confident that when our bill passes the Senate and gets to the House, members of the House, including Speaker Johnson, will have had ample opportunity to read, understand the bill and ask questions,” said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who negotiated the border proposal, on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”