In a key procedural vote on Wednesday, Senate Republicans blocked passage of a bill providing more military aid for Ukraine after Democrats at the last minute scuttled talks to include border security measures in the package - knowing full well that their refusal to compromise would doom the legislation.
The Louisiana Republican seemed open to negotiations if an aid package were to include border security measures - a top issue for many Senate Republicans and some vulnerable Democrats as well.
Recognizing the chance for a compromise, Senate Republicans and Democrats launched into discussions late last month over a potential amendment to Biden's supplemental funding bill that included border security.
As a summary of the bill outlines, H.R. 2 would enact a number of comprehensive changes to U.S. border policy, including restarting construction of the border wall and increasing funding for border patrol to allow the agency to hire more agents and pay existing agents bonuses.
Border experts say all of these measures and more are urgently needed to stem the flood of illegal border crossings and end abuses of the asylum system.
"Dems want $106B - GOP wants a closed border. That's the trade. But clueless Dems want to negotiate the border bill. Not going to happen," Senator Mitt Romney wrote Tuesday on X. "Is an open border more important to Dems than Ukraine and Israel?".
Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who late last year switched her party affiliation to Independent but continues to caucus and vote with Democrats, has already indicated she may be open to supporting GOP border security measures and rejected the notion that they were "Extreme." Sinema's seat is up for re-election in 2024 in Arizona, a state that has been among the hardest hit by the border crisis.
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