Congress left Washington this week without approving emergency national security spending, defying President Biden’s prediction that Ukraine won’t survive into the new year absent another infusion of U.S. funding.
Senate leaders are vowing to take “swift action” on the $110 billion package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan and humanitarian aid to Gaza early in the new year, but say talks between Republicans and Democrats on the southern border security portion need more time.
“The Senate will not let these national security challenges go unanswered,” Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, vowed in a rare joint statement. “In the time remaining this year, Senate and administration negotiators will continue to work in good faith toward finalizing their agreement.”
The Senate will return from holiday recess Jan. 8, and the House on Jan. 9.
During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington last week, Mr. Biden said a failure by Congress to pass an additional $60 billion earmarked for Ukraine before the holidays would give Russian President Vladimir Putin “the greatest gift they could possibly give him.”
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with $111 billion to combat Russia’s unprovoked invasion, which will officially run dry by month’s end, according to the White House budget office.
Sen. Michael Bennet, Colorado Democrat, sought to single-handedly force passage of more Ukraine aid before year’s end by blocking swift approval of a must-pass Federal Aviation Administration stopgap funding authority. The assurance from Mr. Schumer and Mr. McConnell persuaded Mr. Bennet to lift his hold, but not before assessing Mr. Biden’s forecast that Ukraine’s survival could be jeopardized.
“Our folks are not giving their lives in this fight, in this battle for democracy. But we are giving our treasure,” Mr. Bennet said in a floor speech. “We are giving our intelligence in this fight because this fight is as important for us as it is for Ukraine. I don’t mean that rhetorically; I mean that literally.”
Republicans pinned the delay squarely on Mr. Biden and Democrats, whom they accused of wasting weeks of precious negotiating time before dropping their resistance to southern border policy changes amid a record 12,000 daily illegal crossings.
“A lot of us Republicans are eager to get Ukraine the aid that it needs,” Senate Minority Whip John Thune, South Dakota Republican, said in a floor speech. “But we cannot — and I say we cannot — tend to our national security interests abroad while ignoring the national security crisis right here on our doorstep.”
Officials from the Biden administration, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, became involved in the secret negotiations in recent weeks. They are being led by Sens. Christopher Murphy, Connecticut Democrat; Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona independent, and James Lankford, Oklahoma Republican.
Mr. Biden’s more hands-on approach came after prodding from Republican and Democratic senators that the president could help talks advance. Still, Republicans are calling on the president to be more vocal.
Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana Republican, said Mr. Biden would provide political “cover” for Democrats if he were to say what immigration policy changes he would support.
Mr. Schumer conceded that the U.S. has a “problem at the border,” an admission not all Democrats or Biden officials have been willing to make.
He added a vague caveat: “Democrats know we have to help solve that problem, but in keeping with our principles.”
The secrecy of the negotiations has also sparked backlash. A group of nine conservative senators, led by Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, demanded that Mr. Schumer provide transparency by going through the full legislative process involving committee hearings and amendments when Congress returns in January.
At least nine Senate Republicans will need to support any bipartisan package to surpass the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
“Stifling debate and transparency on massive foreign aid packages is antithetical to the way the Senate is supposed to work,” the Republicans wrote in a letter to Mr. Schumer.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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