Staff Reports
The Senate is blowing off their Christmas recess to get some serious work done, and they’re doing it for the good of the country and the good of Ukraine. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, is leading the charge, telling his colleagues that they need to stay in town and hash out a deal that will unlock billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine. Schumer’s got his sights set on making it happen, and he’s not letting anything – not even a scheduled break for the holidays – stand in his way.
Schumer made it clear that this is urgent business, and he’s not pulling any punches. He’s calling out the Republicans, saying that if they’re really serious about the border situation, then they shouldn’t have any problem sticking around to get the job done. Schumer even announced that they’re going to have another vote on President Joe Biden’s funding request for Ukraine next week, whether the Republicans like it or not.
But the Republicans aren’t exactly thrilled about the idea of skipping their holiday plans to work on this. Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, one of the lead GOP negotiators, is saying it’s just not going to happen before the new year.
The Democrats are determined, though. They’re willing to delay the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization and keep everyone in Washington until they can come to an agreement. They’re keeping up the pressure, citing progress in the talks and making sure everyone knows they mean business.
President Biden asked for a whopping $14 billion in funding for the border as part of the Ukraine deal, and the Republicans are pushing back, demanding changes in policy. They want to see some real action on the border, and they’re not backing down. The Democrats might want to head home for the holidays, but they’re not going anywhere until they can make this happen.
