WASHINGTON — US President
Joe Biden held
former President Donald Trump responsible for the ongoing crisis within
Congress regarding border security with Mexico and the provision of a massive
aid package to Ukraine and Israel, as per Al-Ghad. During remarks at the
White House on Tuesday, Biden blamed Trump for the collapse of Republican support in
reaching an agreement.
اضافة اعلان
Biden stated that the $118 billion bill
was the outcome of months of ‘extraordinary effort’ by a bipartisan group of
senators. He described it as the most fair and humane reforms in the
immigration system in a long time and the toughest set of border security
reforms ever.
Biden's statement came as more
Republicans in both the House and Senate voiced opposition to the agreement
negotiated by a joint committee of both parties led by Democratic Senator
Chris Murphy and Republican Senator James Lankford to resolve the crisis over the
past few months.
However, an increasing number of
Republican senators have opposed the agreement after Trump criticized it,
viewing it as a potential boost to Biden's electoral prospects. Trump opposed
resolving, even temporarily, the immigration crisis, seeing its continuation as
vital to the success of his presidential election campaign.
Biden remarked, "All indications are
this bill will not even move forward to the Senate floor. Why? A simple reason,
Donald Trump. He would rather weaponize this issue than actually solve it.”
After months of negotiations over a
substantial aid package for Ukraine and Israel, which Republicans tied to a
tougher stance on securing the southern border, senior Republicans are now
advocating for a separate foreign aid package. They oppose the inclusion of the
previously demanded stricter border policy.
Yet, attempts to bridge the gap between
the parties legislatively are faltering, especially following the unanimous
Republican vote in the House to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro
Mayorkas, who is responsible for border security and immigration.
Senate
struggles over National Security Law: collapsing agreement raises doubts on
border security and foreign aidThe Senate started the week with a
disagreement over the National Security Law, whose text was released on Sunday.
It contained financial allocations agreed upon by both parties in response to
Republican demands that Democrats tie border policy adjustments to Biden's
request for military aid to Israel and Ukraine.
By Monday, Senator Lankford, the
Republican negotiator on the Senate deal, anticipated the collapse of the
agreement, a prediction that seems to be coming true.
As representatives from both parties
approached an agreement and sought common ground, the deal seems to be falling
apart, reportedly due to the influence of Trump. Republican leaders in the
House declared it a ‘dead and done deal’ even before its arrival.
The collapse of the package, which
encompasses provisions previously demanded by Republicans regarding immigration
policies, such as allocating nearly $20 billion more for border security and
raising the minimum for asylum requests, will raise doubts about Congress's
ability to address border security or foreign aid before the presidential
elections in November.
Senator Murphy indicated that the
procedural vote on Wednesday will likely signal the end of the party's efforts
to tackle the border crisis, stating that Republicans "Have moved away
from the old plan, and they will move away from any new plans."
This shift has prompted members of both
parties in the Senate to contemplate reverting to the original plan from 2023
to attempt passing funding for Ukraine and Israel and humanitarian aid
separately.
Following these developments, Senate
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asserted, "Senate members are elected to
vote, not to fear and flee and make excuses when it comes to voting on tough
issues."
On the contrary, House Speaker Mike
Johnson affirmed that Republicans simply cannot vote for the proposed
legislation with a clear conscience. He emphasized that the proposed
legislative bill falls short in securing the borders, highlighting that Biden already
holds legal authority to tackle the surge in migrants and their irregular
influx but refrains from utilizing it.
Instead of considering the Senate's
proposed legislation, House Republicans will introduce a standalone bill to
provide military aid to Israel, although its passage seems improbable given the
Democratic-controlled Senate's expected rejection. Johnson informed reporters
that aid to Israel "cannot wait any longer and must be passed separately
from aid to Ukraine."
It is noteworthy that the Pentagon has
warned of the depletion of Ukrainian forces' ammunition and other resources now
that US funding has ended weeks ago. However, Democrats reject the idea of
separating aid to Ukraine from aid to Israel and pledge to thwart Johnson's
initiative, viewing this move as a mere ‘clear and mocking attempt’ to
undermine the bipartisan agreement in the Senate.
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