In October, the Biden administration proposed combining Ukraine aid with military support for Israel and Taiwan and some funding for the border.
It was a strategy that, the White House hoped, would smooth the way for congressional passage with aspects that would appeal to Democrats and Republicans.
The White House was partially correct.
Republicans did seek to link military funding to more action that would address the surge of undocumented immigration at the US-Mexico border. But on top of the money the Biden administration proposed, conservative lawmakers also want fundemental immigration reform with specific changes to the asylum system.
“This is not a traditional negotiation, where we expect to come up with a bipartisan compromise on the border,” Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas recently said. It is the “price that has to be paid” to reach a deal on Ukraine.
Democrats have balked at the demand, but are scrambling to pass the aid.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a White House ally working on the negotiations, said the administration is “more engaged” in talks and ramping up its pressure campaign.
Until Biden can find a way to break the impasse on immigration either by making further concessions or forcing Republicans to back down, however, the outlook for a resolution that gets military support to Ukraine quickly looks grim.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
