WASHINGTON — Congress left Washington on Thursday without a deal to support wartime Ukraine, even as President Joe Biden's administration rushed to negotiate with Senate Republicans, who are demanding changes to U.S. border security policy in return.
The Senate planned to return next week in hopes of finalizing a deal to impose new restrictions on asylum claims at the U.S. border and pass the $110 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs. But the House of Representatives showed no signs of returning to push the legislation through the full Congress.
Lawmakers leaving the impasse unresolved over the holidays would mean the Biden administration would be dependent on a dwindling supply of money to Ukraine. The wartime aid has so far been crucial to Ukraine's defense against Russian invasion, and Russian President Vladimir Putin recommitted to his goals in the war earlier Thursday.
Fending off Russia has been one of Biden's key foreign policy goals. But the Democratic president faces fierce opposition from Republicans in Congress — both from populist conservatives who no longer want to fund the nearly two-year-old conflict and from Republican senators who have been traditional allies of Ukraine's defense but insist that the US also enacts policies. aimed at reducing the historic number of migrants arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico.
Top Biden administration officials were expected to continue meetings with Senate negotiators in hopes of reaching an agreement in principle. As Congress entered its last scheduled day of the year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, implored his colleagues to take urgent action.
“This could be our last, best chance to pass this legislation,” Schumer said during a speech on the Senate floor.
He added that the deadlock in Congress has led “Putin to mock our resolve,” and he labeled the decisions facing lawmakers as a potential turning point in history: “There is too much at stake for Ukraine, for America, for Western democracy, to throw in the towel right now.”
But the House ended proceedings, with Republican Speaker Mike Johnson showing no signs that members would not return until the second week of January. In the Senate, leaders tried to reach agreement on the program for the rest of the year.
With some momentum behind the talks, Democratic senators were told at a lunch meeting that the intention was to continue negotiations this weekend to “finalize” the proposal, said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
“We're still hoping for an outcome,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said.
A core group of Senate negotiators and Biden administration officials were expected to stick to a list of priorities aimed at curbing the number of migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border.
“We are making progress, I feel more confident today than I did yesterday,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who has often been central to deal-making in the Senate, told The Associated Press.