Migrants walks along the border fence before surrendering to U.S. Border Patrol agents, in Yuma, Ariz., on May 10, 2023. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg)
(Tribune News Service) — The top Republican negotiator for a deal on U.S.-Mexico border policy and aid to Ukraine said he’s confident that lawmakers can reach a bipartisan agreement by the end of the year.
Sen. James Lankford’s assessment contrasted with less optimistic comments by other Republicans after senators met privately throughout last week in search of a breakthrough.
“We can get this done by the end of the year,” Lankford said Sunday on ABC News’This Week. “There’s a reason that this hasn’t been done in decades, because it’s hard. It’s very technical work.”
The U.S. is hamstrung in sending significant aid to allies including Ukraine, which says it desperately needs resources. In the Republican-led House, GOP hard-liners are at the forefront of a search to link stricter U.S.-Mexico border policies, such as tougher asylum restrictions, with Ukraine aid.
President Joe Biden in October requested about $106 billion in supplemental national security funding, which includes assistance for allies Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and resources to the U.S. border.
While earlier bills to fund the government excluded overseas aid and money for the U.S.-Mexico border, Lankford said this package will not decouple the two. “We’re going to do this all together,” he said.
Congress has until early next year to pass long-term funding legislation or once again confront the risk of a government shutdown. The Senate is expected to leave Washington for the Christmas holiday on Dec. 15.
The bipartisan divide over U.S.-Mexico border policies has plagued Congress for decades. The clash played a role in the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who sparked criticism from Republican hard-liners after failing to meet their demands and compromising with Democrats.
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