Republicans, Biden clash over fate of US border, Ukraine

AFP | Washington                                                           

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The fates of US military aid to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion and the politically explosive issue of illegal immigration into the United States were up in the air as President Joe Biden rebuked congressional Republicans for stalling on a deal.

The Republican speaker of the House of Representatives said Congress is not ready to approve renewal of US military aid crucial to Ukraine for its desperate fight against Russian invasion, because there is no parallel deal on reinforcing the US-Mexican border -- a major conduit for undocumented migrants.

The Senate “appears unable to reach any agreement,” wrote Speaker Mike Johnson in a letter to lawmakers, adding that in any case his party would not give approval in the House, meaning it “would have been dead on arrival.”

But Biden responded in a statement that Republicans and Democrats have in fact been working intensively on a bipartisan deal to address those border security issues.

“What’s been negotiated would -- if passed into law -- be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country,” he said in a statement. “If you’re serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I will sign it.”