(NewsNation) — Hinging funding for Ukraine on securing the border is the only way to work with the White House, according to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
“The only way that we’re ever gonna get this administration to change is to tie it to something they care deeply about,” Cassidy said in an “On Balance” interview. He argued that leveraging issues such as national security or supporting allies including Ukraine could be a means to influence the administration’s stance on border control.
President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $61.4 billion in wartime funding for Ukraine as part of a $110 billion package that also includes money for Israel and other national security priorities. But the request is caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. The U.S. has already provided Ukraine $111 billion for its fight against Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Cassidy emphasized the importance of self-defense while supporting allies, accusing the administration of prioritizing an open-border policy over national security concerns.
“We want to help Ukraine, we want to help Israel; boy, do I want to help Israel. We’ve also got to help ourselves. And this administration doesn’t want to help ourselves,” Cassidy said.
With Congress in its final workweek before leaving for the holidays, questions remain as to whether Republicans will be able to come to an agreement on any rounds of future funding for Ukraine or Israel without White House concessions on additional border security as illegal crossings surge. But any border package also runs the risk of alienating some Democrats.
Republicans insist on U.S. southern border changes in exchange, such as raising asylum standards, restricting humanitarian admission and expanding expedited removals.
Biden has said he’s willing to make “significant compromises on the border” as Republicans block the wartime aid in Congress.
Cassidy stressed that a bipartisan deal could be reached if the Democrats were willing to prioritize border security alongside other policy objectives.
Republicans argue for more comprehensive border crisis solutions. They say the record numbers of migrants crossing the southern border pose a security threat because authorities cannot adequately screen all the migrants and that those who enter the United States are straining the country’s resources. GOP lawmakers also say they cannot justify to their constituents sending billions of dollars to other countries, even in a time of war, while failing to address the border at home.
Democrats expressed frustration about linking border changes to Ukraine aid. They say some of the changes being proposed would gut protections for people who desperately need help and would not ease the chaos at the border.
Border Patrol agents are adopting the term “border processors” as they describe their evolving role in handling asylum claims.
Recent statistics indicate growing dissatisfaction with Biden’s handling of the southern border, with 71% of Americans expressing disapproval.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kicked off a quick visit to Washington on Monday, warning in a speech at a defense university that Russia may be fighting in Ukraine but its “real target is freedom” in America and around the world. He also issued a personal plea for Congress to break its deadlock and approve continued support for Ukraine.
Cassidy expressed the need to prioritize the strategic vision for the war in Ukraine. He highlighted concerns over the slow provision of necessary military support, emphasizing the importance of controlling the airspace for achieving victory.
NewsNation’s Tom Dempsey and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
