WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators on Sunday unveiled a long-awaited $118 billion package that combines border security policy with wartime aid to Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, but quickly removed Chairman Mike Johnson from It ran into a wall of opposition, including from top House Republicans. .
The proposal could be President Joe Biden's best opportunity to replenish Ukraine with wartime aid. This is a major foreign policy goal shared by both the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, and the top Republican, Mitch McConnell. The House of Lords was due to hold a key test vote on the bill this week, but within hours of the document being published, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on social media that the bill would be “dead on arrival” if it reached the Commons. said on social media.
With Congress stalling approval of $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, the United States has halted shipments of ammunition and missiles to Kiev, leaving Ukrainian soldiers at a disadvantage as they try to repel a Russian invasion.
Senators have been working for months on a carefully negotiated compromise aimed at overcoming opposition from conservatives weary of funding the fight against Ukraine. But the coming days will be a critical test of whether Congressional leaders can once again persuade lawmakers to support a package designed to assert America's strength and commitment around the world. right.
They will also consider whether to continue pushing forward with border and immigration laws, some of the thorniest issues in American politics.
Biden said in a statement that the Senate's proposal would allow the United States to continue its important work with partners around the world to protect Ukraine's freedom and support its ability to defend itself from Russian aggression. It will become.”
And on the border, Biden said the immigration system has been broken for too long and it's time to fix it. “It will make our country safer, our borders more secure, and treat people fairly and humanely while maintaining legal immigration in line with our values as a nation,” the Democratic president said. .
The proposal would overhaul the asylum system, with faster and stricter enforcement, and give the president new powers to immediately expel immigrants if authorities are overwhelmed by the number of asylum seekers. . The new bill would invest in U.S. defense manufacturing, send $14 billion in military aid to Israel, direct about $5 billion to allies in the Asia-Pacific, and provide relief to civilians caught up in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. It also includes the provision of humanitarian aid.
In a call with reporters after announcing the bill, Schumer said he had never worked so closely with McConnell. He said the bill is a “monumental step” toward strengthening national security at home and abroad.
Schumer said he believed that without support for Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin “could overthrow Ukraine and even move into Eastern Europe.”
McConnell said in a statement that the Senate must be “ready to act.”
“America's sovereignty is being tested here at home, and America's credibility is being tested by bold adversaries around the world,” McConnell said. “The challenges we face will not resolve themselves, and our adversaries will not wait for the United States to be determined to meet them.”
McConnell pushed for border policy changes to be included in the national security funding package last year, overcoming opposition from House Republicans. But the changing immigration situation in a presidential election year has seen Biden and many Democrats embrace the idea of tougher border enforcement, while Donald Trump and his allies believe the proposed measures are untenable. Critics say it's not enough.
Johnson, R-Louisiana, said on social media. This bill is even worse than we expected and will come nowhere close to ending the border disaster the president has wrought. ”
Republicans have been reluctant to give Biden a political victory on an issue they see as one of his biggest weaknesses, arguing the president already has sufficient powers to curb illegal border crossings. He claims that he is in a position to ensure that immigration remains a key issue in the presidential election. But at the same time, House Republicans are also pushing for their own stricter border security legislation.
The bill passed the House last year without a single Democratic vote, and it currently has no chance of gaining the necessary Democratic support in the Senate. Republican senators also tried to add the bill to other bills last year, but it received just 46 votes.
Johnson also indicated Saturday that the House of Commons will vote on another package of $17.6 billion in military aid to Israel. This would allow House Republicans to demonstrate support for Israel independent of the Senate agreement.
It is also unclear whether the bill will be passed by the Senate. Senate Republicans are divided on the bill, with some of Mr. McConnell's top staff saying it's not strong enough. Some said they would immediately vote against it.
“A ‘border deal’ is an easy no. It’s like a parody of an actual border security bill,” Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio posted on social media.
The bipartisan proposal aims to take control of an asylum system overwhelmed by the historic number of migrants arriving at the border.
Migrants seeking asylum, which protects people facing persecution in their home countries, will face a tougher and faster process before their claims are evaluated. The bar for the first interview has been raised, with many people being interviewed within days of arriving at the border.
A final decision on their asylum claims will be made within months, instead of the years it currently takes. If they pass the initial examination, they will be granted a work permit.
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who negotiated the border proposal, told reporters that the bill “immediately reasserts border controls, repeals catch-and-release policies, and fixes our broken asylum system.” We will strengthen our ties and resolve the border crisis.”
“America is and will continue to be a bastion of hope for true asylum seekers,” she added. “But it is not open to economic immigration. As we know, it has been dramatically exploited by cartels over the last four to five years.”
If the number of illegal border crossings exceeds 5,000 people per day on a five-day average, expulsion authorities will automatically be activated and migrants who cross the border illegally will be expelled without the opportunity to apply for asylum. Once that number reaches 4,000, the presidential administration will have the option to exercise new powers. Under the proposal, immigrants would still be able to apply at ports of entry.
Biden referred to the agency and said he would use it to “close the border” as soon as the bill is signed into law.
The bill allocates $20 billion for immigration enforcement, including hiring thousands of new workers to review asylum applications and hundreds of Border Patrol agents, as well as funding for local governments that anticipate an influx of migrants. Offers will also be included.
There has been concern among Democrats, especially progressives and Hispanic members, about stricter asylum standards. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said in a statement that the proposal would “create more chaos at the border, not less.”
Immigration advocates have strongly criticized the new restrictions on asylum, with some calling for the bill to be rejected in its current form.
A $14 billion package aimed at military aid to Israel could also divide Democratic votes. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, is calling for $10 billion in offensive weapons for Israel to be removed from the package, while keeping funding for defense systems.
Schumer said he planned a key test vote on the bill on Wednesday.
