02/01/24

2/1/2024

Congressional leaders for more than four months have been negotiating a major agreement to fund military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan; provide humanitarian aid to people in a number of nations and regions that desperately need it right now; and tighten security at the U.S.-Mexican border. 

Sounds like a big task? It is. President Biden proposed the package initially to try to bring supporters of each component together through a multi-pronged approach, figuring there were enough advocates of each portion to weld a composite bill that would pass both houses of Congress.

And there’s the rub. Because Biden wants it, former President Trump and his cohorts don’t. Trump’s MAGA followers don’t want to improve the border situation this year because a solution would appear to give Biden a political victory. Trump wants the border crisis as a campaign issue.

Last Thursday Trump stated, “What is currently being worked on in the Senate will be meaningless in terms of Border Security and Closure.” He added that the “ONLY HOPE” for a secure border is to elect him President.

The border portion of the congressional deal would make it harder for migrants to get asylum, would change the use of migrant parole, and would provide a way to close down the border on days when crossings reach a certain high level. All those provisions have been sought by Republican conservatives for a long time. Biden pledged to close the border on the day he signs the bill.

But a significant number of Republican Senators, after Trump slammed the deal, spoke out against it because it would remove a powerful campaign issue for the MAGA former President, even though those Senators continue to wring their hands about the border situation.

Senate Republicans are sharply divided on the proposal, and that puts Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in a tight spot. Although he personally is on record as supporting the bipartisan agreement, he told his Senate GOP colleagues in a closed-door meeting last week that Trump’s opposition changes the math for passage. 

McConnell was apparently not changing his mind about the proposal, but rather was acknowledging that Trump has made it an uphill challenge. In addition to the division over the border, some Republicans also have soured on continuing to aid Ukraine with more armaments, putting even more pressure on Senate negotiators of both parties.

In the closed-door GOP Senate confab, McConnell pointed out how far Democratic negotiators have moved toward compromise over the border issue. He noted that this is the first time Democratic proposals have not included demands for a path to legalization for millions of undocumented migrants now in the U.S. He went further, to warn that if Trump were to win the White House in November, Democrats would return to demanding immigration reform in exchange for security at the border. Prospects for border improvement under that scenario would become bleaker.

Some Senate Republicans are pushing back at Trump. GOP Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, the lead Republican negotiator, said, “There are some people that oppose the bill, based on the presidential politics issue, rather than the crisis that’s actually occurring at the border.”

Some GOP Senators said it in stronger language, like Senator Mitt Romney of Utah: “. . .the fact that (Trump) would communicate to Republican senators and congresspeople that he doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it is really appalling.” Romney continued, “The American people are suffering as a result of what’s happening at the border. And someone running for president ought to try and get the problem solved, as opposed to saying, ‘Hey, save the problem! Don’t solve it! Let me take credit for solving it later.’”

Democratic Senators, like Jon Tester of Montana, pulled no punches: “It think it’s crap. We need to get that deal done to secure the border. If they want to keep it as a campaign issue, I think they need to resign from the damn Senate.” 

Then there’s the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Trump’s opposition to the compromise has found advocates among a number of MAGA conservatives, and where House Speaker Mike Johnson is now questioning the proposal more strongly. So even if the bipartisan negotiators in the Senate find a way through the thicket, the bill would still have to navigate the growing opposition in the House.

I hope the Iowa congressional delegation has the wisdom and foresight to support the compromise if and when they have the chance. The opportunity is unlikely to come around again.

Because of publishing deadlines, the situation may have changed by the time you read this column. I’m writing it Saturday afternoon, Jan. 27. I’m hoping that enough congressional Republicans will agree to take “yes” for an answer to most of their demands, and vote to approve the agreement—-if Senate and House GOP leaders let it come to a vote.

There’s something that could help swing the deal. It’s unusual in an election year, but we’re in an unusual situation.

Biden, as President, could refrain from taking political credit for the agreement. He could instead emphasize that its achievement comes only through bipartisan support from statesmanlike members of Congress, who put politics aside to stiffen the border, provide military aid to help fight aggression overseas, and do the right thing with humanitarian help for hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of people around the world who desperately need food, water, medication, and other basics.

Biden could point out forcefully that neither party can achieve its goals by itself, and that much can be accomplished through cooperation. And he could thank individual Republicans who helped the proposal succeed.

That might not sit well with some congressional Democrats, especially those who hope to run against their “do-nothing” GOP campaign opponents. But it’s evident that Republican help is essential for approval of the package, and those Republicans with enough courage to say no to Trump’s political gamesmanship need to be thanked. Biden is the right one to express that gratitude.