American lawmakers returned to work this week after a three-week holiday break. They continue to work toward an agreement on a legislative package that should include stronger immigration rules and additional aid for Ukraine.
“We’re closer to a deal than we’ve been since the beginning of these negotiations,” said Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the lead negotiators.
The White House requested $106B in additional funding for national security priorities, including border security funding and nearly $14B in aid to Israel and Taiwan.
So far, the US has allocated more than $100B to arm and support Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and President Joe Biden has asked Congress to approve an additional $60B. However, Republicans are increasingly skeptical of the need to continue funding Ukraine’s defense. They proposed their own bill, which resumes the construction of the wall on the US’ southern border and imposes new restrictions on asylum seekers.