CNN
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Congress seems no nearer to a deal forward of a vital week for negotiations over tying immigration and border policy changes to the emergency help package deal that may present funding for Ukraine and Israel earlier than lawmakers go away city for the vacations.
Republican Sen. James Lankford and Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy, who’re main the immigration and border negotiations, stated in separate interviews on Sunday that talks are ongoing between the 2 sides.
“We’re nonetheless within the room attempting to cope with Republican calls for,” Murphy stated on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We’re not going to place Donald Trump’s immigration insurance policies into statute. … It could be dangerous for the nation. However, we do must do one thing to try to resolve this disaster on the border.”
Casting this level in negotiations as “probably the most harmful moments” in American historical past, Murphy warned in stark phrases concerning the nationwide safety implications of not reaching a deal.
“Vladimir Putin is delighting proper now in Republicans’ insistence that we get a deal on immigration reform, and if we don’t, then they will permit Vladimir Putin to march into Ukraine and maybe into Europe,” he stated on NBC.
President Joe Biden despatched a transparent message to lawmakers Congress final week that he’s open to placing a compromise with Republicans on border safety. Whereas lawmakers from each side of the aisle have expressed an openness to reaching a deal, the 2 sides nonetheless appear no nearer to doing so. With Home Republicans demanding that the Senate-negotiated deal stick as shut as potential to the Home-passed border invoice, HR 2, many Democrats have stated that it’s a nonstarter.
However Lankford, who has remained upbeat all through the talks, expressed optimism that the negotiators have come a great distance from after they began, whilst they’re mired in a political “push and pull.”
“We’ve come a great distance. It’s time to have the ability to end this and decide and do what we are able to do to have the ability to assist the nation. We will’t do all the pieces on the border, however we are able to do the issues that really start to regulate the border in order that the USA is accountable for our boundaries, not the cartels,” Lankford stated on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“This began with the Biden administration saying we have to do a nationwide safety package deal that has Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the border,” Lankford continued. “Proper now, the push and pull is known as a political push and pull somewhat than it’s the rest.”
White Home finances director Shalanda Younger, in the meantime, indicated in a separate interview on CBS Sunday {that a} deal was nonetheless potential, however warned that calls for with out compromise would tank negotiations.
“You possibly can’t have all the pieces your manner in a negotiation. Democrats and Republicans need to vote for this invoice. So I agree it’s time to chop a deal that each side can comply with,” Younger stated.
If Congress leaves city for the vacations with out reaching a deal, the White Home must make tough choices about supplying allies such as Ukraine on the potential expense of US army readiness. High Biden administration officers have been sounding the alarm for weeks about funding for Ukraine operating dry and the potential penalties.
Murphy, the lead Democratic negotiator, additionally outlined in broad strokes what he sees a possible center floor for the package deal.
“We don’t need to shut off the USA of America to people who find themselves coming right here to be rescued from harmful, depressing, circumstances during which their life is in jeopardy,” Murphy stated. “We’re not going to help something that shuts down the border fully to individuals who legitimately are coming right here to have their lives rescued. However, we’re prepared to speak about tightening a number of the guidelines so that you just don’t have ten thousand individuals arriving a day.”