Can Congress land a deal on Ukraine aid and border security as lawmakers return to Washington?
Senate negotiators were trying to close on a bipartisan border security proposal this week that could unlock Senate Republican support for Ukraine aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate negotiators were trying to land a bipartisan border security proposal this week that could unlock Senate Republican support for Ukraine aid. But as Congress returns, House conservatives are trying to interject their own hardline immigration demands.
Senate negotiators met Monday morning as they raced to finish work on legislative text. They were hoping this week to present the details of a bipartisan bill aimed at reducing the number of migrants who travel to the southern border to apply for asylum protections in the U.S. The small group of senators has been working for months on the legislation, but disagreements remained.
“We're certainly narrowing down the issues,” Sen. Chris Murphy, who has been leading the Democratic side of the negotiation, told reporters. “We’re hopeful we’ll have something to present to our colleagues soon.”
President Joe Biden's administration has also been directly involved in the talks as the president tries to both secure support for a top foreign policy priority — funding Ukraine's defense against Russia — and demonstrate action on a potential political weakness — his handling of the historic number of migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico.
