A national security spending package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan will be forced to wait until the new year, as Senate negotiators continued to haggle Tuesday over southern border policies and senators prepare to depart for the holidays.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer conceded that the nation’s immigration policies need to be addressed amid a record influx of more than 11,000 daily illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border, an admission not all Democrats or Biden officials have been willing to make.
“We do have a problem at the border, and Democrats know we have to help solve that problem but in keeping with our principles,” the New York Democrat said.
Talks with Republicans on the subject are “closer than ever before to an agreement,” according to Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democratic negotiator.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, likewise said the two sides have made “significant progress.”
In the latest sign of optimism, Mr. Schumer and Mr. McConnell issued a rare joint statement Tuesday night saying they expect “swift action” on the package “early in the new year” and that negotiatiors “will continue to work in good faith.”
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Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, the lead Republican negotiatior, said there were “multiple unresolved issues that will take weeks to resolve rather than hours.”
“It is better to get this done right rather than fast,” he said.
The Senate will leave town this week until the second week in January without voting on President Biden’s proposed $110 billion aid package, in which the changes to the southern border will be included. The House departed last week, and is expected to consider the legislation if and when it clears the Senate.
Senate leaders in both parties are facing increased pressure from rank-and-file members for transparency due to secret talks involving a handful of lawmakers and questions about what they’ve agreed to.
Among the discussions has been changes to the asylum and parole processes for migrants.
Mr. McConnell stressed the importance of reaching a deal on the southern border so the foreign aid components could also get passed.
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“I think this is the most dangerous time since the fall of the Berlin Wall. You have the first land war in Europe since WWII, we still have terrorist threats not only in Israel, but some of the kinds of people that are getting into the United States, and we want to help Taiwan as well,” Mr. McConnell said. “No question, this package is extremely important. The most complicated part of it actually is the border.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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