(NewsNation) — Congress departed Washington on Thursday without a deal to pass an aid package for Ukraine. Some Senate Republicans are refusing to pass it until the White House makes concessions on the southern border.
Mark Dannels, the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, says residents of communities along the border are watching lawmakers in Washington play “political safety instead of public safety.”
“We’re living the frustration every day. We have reached out to Congress. We have reached out to the White House. We have worked with border governors because what we see in Cochise County is an erosion of our quality of life,” Dannels told NewsNation host Dan Abrams.
He says Cochise County has asked lawmakers for three years now to engage with them, recognize issues at the border and work together to move forward with solutions. Dannels thinks any progress would help, but he’s not optimistic.
“What I see every day is Congress and the White House playing the blame game while we play the real game,” Dannels said.
Former GOP California Congresswoman Mimi Walters thinks the House will play ball if the Senate reaches a compromise on Ukraine aid and the border.
“I do believe there are enough pragmatic Republicans in the conference that will say, ‘Listen, we’ve got to get something done here. We’ve been talking about this ever since Biden got elected. He has done nothing to secure our borders.’ And they have to go back and show their constituents that they fought for something,” Walters said.
She said those interested in getting the aid package passed should look to moderate lawmakers or those facing political vulnerability in their districts.
“We have quite a few members that are in swing seats. There’s probably 17 or 18 of them right there that Biden won their districts, and they have to compromise more in order to be able to be reelected,” Walters said.
Ultimately, Walters thinks reaching a compromise will serve as a “true test” for House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The Senate plans to return next week in hopes of passing the $110 billion package of aid for Ukraine, Israel and other national security concerns, along with finalizing a deal to place new restrictions on asylum claims at the southern border. So far, the House has shown no sign of coming back to push the legislation through the full Congress.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.