In a deal that would combine military aid for Ukraine and policy changes at the United States Southern border, the Associated Press has reported that the deal is still being stalled in Congress.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 12: U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) reads a statement to members of the press at the U.S. Capitol on January 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. Far-right House Republicans are threatening to shut down the government on January 19 unless their demands for President Biden to enact stricter border laws are met.
The deal has been facing heavy ongoing opposition from House Republicans and former President Donald Trump. As conversations go on skepticism regarding the mass number of billions of dollars has grown within Republicans despite many arguments.
The Original Goal
House Speaker Mike Johnson had hoped that February would be a potential deadline for this deal to receive approval but the $110 billion package deal that is meant to strengthen our allies is seemingly being lost in the conversation surrounding border policies. However, as these conversations go on so does the conflict in Ukraine where there have been many reports of supplies quickly running out on top of the Pentagon's recent report that its budget for Ukraine has seemingly run dry. Senator Chuck Schumer gave a speech warning that "the survival of Ukraine is on the line" which goes in hand with Putin's recent comments that the country of Ukraine's statehood is at risk should the conflict continue. Schumer also stated "The only way we'll rise to the occasion is if both sides are serious about finding a bipartisan compromise. We have not concluded negotiations so we will keep going to get this done."
Mitch McConnell also had some words to share stating "It's time for us to move something, hopefully including a border agreement, but we need to get help to Israel and to Ukraine quickly." Mike Johnson has discussed splitting up the package in a meeting on Tuesday, however, no further details have been given at the time of writing. NATO's longest-serving chief, Jens Stoltenberg also shared some thoughts with the following "I met many politicians from both parties. And I saw broad support for Ukraine. But then, of course, there's this link to the border issue which I respect is an important and difficult issue, but I believe it's possible to find a way forward to support Ukraine regardless of how the border issue is handled."
Republicans have also expressed wanting to cut the package and that not all of the aid will be going toward the military. Instead, of $61 billion total for Ukraine, $16 billion will be put towards security, economic, and overall operation assistance. However, during the initial phase of these discussions, Republicans had suggested combining aid for Ukraine and border policy changes but as a result, striking a balance regarding border policies has made things more muddled. Speaker Johnson has been focusing blame on President Biden's handling of the border and alongside fellow Republicans to push for more strict border measures despite the unlikely hood of these measures being passed. The report concluded with Johnsons' statement which as follows "If we take a step back, if we consider the current catastrophe at the border, we can all see that our country is at a critical decision".
