Outlook had appeared grim following reports McConnell was walking away, but now lawmakers say text could be released in coming days
Congressional negotiators said a border deal was within reach on Thursday, despite efforts by Donald Trump and his allies on Capitol Hill to derail the talks.
With the fate of US aid for Ukraine hanging in the balance, the outlook for border compromise had appeared grim following reports on Wednesday night that the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, was walking away from a compromise that he suggested could “undermine” Trump’s chances in a November general election against Joe Biden. But by Thursday afternoon, senators involved in the discussions were insisting that the opposite was true: an agreement was in sight and legislative text could be released in the coming days.
According to a report in Punchbowl News, McConnell told Republicans in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday night that the “politics on this have changed”. With Trump as their likely standard bearer, McConnell reportedly indicated that it would be unwise to move forward with a bipartisan immigration deal that could possibly neutralize an issue that has become one of Biden’s biggest potential vulnerabilities. Referring to Trump as the party’s “nominee”, McConnell added: “We don’t want to do anything to undermine him.”
“That’s like parallel universe shit,” Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican of North Carolina involved in the negotiations, fumed to reporters on Thursday. “That didn’t happen.”
This is the best summary I could come up with:
With Trump as their likely standard bearer, McConnell reportedly indicated that it would be unwise to move forward with a bipartisan immigration deal that could possibly neutralize an issue that has become one of Biden’s biggest potential vulnerabilities.
The proposal under discussion in Congress would significantly change immigration policy with the aim of discouraging migration, amid a record flow of people arriving at the US southern border.
Failure to strike a deal would have global implications, with the Pentagon warning that Ukrainian soldiers on the frontlines of its grinding war with Russia risk running out of ammunition.
“I think the border is a very important issue for Donald Trump,” the Utah senator Mitt Romney, a Republican who has pressed his party to approve military aid for Ukraine, told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday.
But as an unprecedented number of people fleeing violence, poverty and natural disasters seek refuge at the US-Mexico border, the issue has become top of mind for many Americans who overwhelmingly disapprove of the Biden administration’s handling of the matter.
Trump has already made immigration a central issue of his campaign, outlining a draconian vision for his second term that includes mass raids, detentions camps and more funding to build his long-promised wall along the border with Mexico.
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