President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he is ready to make “significant compromises” on border policy in exchange for aid to Israel and Ukraine.
Addressing the broken border system, he emphasized the need for fixing it. Biden made these remarks at the White House ahead of a Senate procedural vote on his national security supplemental.
Republicans are expected to filibuster the vote, citing disagreements on immigration law. As of now, there has been no response to his proposal.
To elevate the importance of the vote on his $106 billion supplementary spending package, the president aimed to send a clear message about the level of American support for Ukraine and its European allies.
He emphasized the potential negative impact on Ukraine and its allies if the package isn’t approved. ” (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must not succeed. It’s crucial for our powerful nation and global friendships,” declared the president.
A few weeks ago, Republicans, who largely support funding for Israel and Ukraine, called for changes to border policies.
Biden expressed frustration, stating, “It’s either accepting their extreme proposal or getting nothing from them. They chose to walk away.”
Progressive Democrats, including those in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, firmly opposed conceding on border policy, such as making it tougher for migrants to seek asylum or giving a future president more authority to close the border, in exchange for supporting Biden’s foreign policy goals.
Biden didn’t outline the administration’s or Democrats’ next steps after the Senate vote. He mentioned addressing reporters afterward, saying, “We’ll figure out the next steps from there.”
Republicans plan to express their concern about what they see as a crisis at the U.S. border through expected opposition on Wednesday. Biden, however, characterized this as “playing chicken with our national security.”
The president cautioned that if Congress doesn’t act to support Ukraine promptly, the United States could face the possibility of deploying troops if Putin decides to invade a NATO country.
Biden stated, “If Putin takes control of Ukraine, he won’t stop there.” He emphasized NATO’s commitment to defending every inch of its territory if Putin attacks any ally. The president warned that if such aggression continues, the U.S. may need to acquire resources it currently doesn’t have or want.
These remarks align with Biden’s urgent call for the approval of his emergency financial proposal for Ukraine. White House budget officer Shalanda Young cautioned lawmakers that not reaching an agreement on funds by the year’s end could severely impact Ukraine on the battlefield.
