The House of Representatives of the US Congress left Washington without agreeing on support for Ukraine, but negotiators in the Senate and the administration of US President Joe Biden continue to work, trying to reach a compromise on border security. They want to resolve this issue by the end of the year, Voice of America reports.
The Senate plans to return to work next week in hopes of passing a nearly $110 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other nations, as well as finalizing a deal to establish new rules for processing asylum cases at the U.S. border.
If lawmakers do not resolve the issue before the holidays, it will mean that the Biden administration will face cuts in aid to Ukraine.
Supporting Ukrainian resistance to Russian occupation has been one of Bidenʼs main foreign policy goals, but some Republicans in Congress no longer want to fund the Ukrainian Defense Forces and are demanding that the U.S. reduce the number of migrants arriving at the Mexican border.
Earlier in the day, top administration officials, including White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zints and the administrationʼs legislative director Shuwanza Goff, met with Senate officials.
Zints wanted to emphasize the presidentʼs request to find solutions to border policy and funding. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is holding talks at the Capitol for the third day.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer adjourned the meeting until Monday to give negotiators more time and said he would push for a vote next week.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives wrapped up and went on vacation, and Republican Speaker Mike Johnson gave no indication that congressmen would return to work before the second half of January.
A core group of Senate negotiators and Biden administration officials are expected to work through the weekend on a list of priorities aimed at reducing the number of migrants seeking asylum at the US border.
One of the controversial points in the negotiations was that the White House does not agree to the demand of the Republicans to curtail the humanitarian parole program (humanitarian password), which allowed tens of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the United States.
- Back in September, the White House asked Congress to approve a $106 billion funding package, of which over $61 billion is allocated to Ukraine, and the rest to help Israel, Taiwan, and protect the border with Mexico. The issue of border protection has become a key point of disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress. It is this that slows down the approval of the request of the White House.