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Trump could tank bipartisan border deal Senate negotiators are continuing to
work on a bipartisan border deal even after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
suggested the politics around the agreement have shifted.


POLITICS


SENATE BORDER NEGOTIATIONS FORGE AHEAD DESPITE PRESSURE FROM TRUMP

Updated January 25, 20243:52 PM ET Originally published January 25, 20241:20 PM
ET
Heard on All Things Considered

By 

Lexie Schapitl

, 

Eric McDaniel

, 

Susan Davis

SENATE BORDER NEGOTIATIONS FORGE AHEAD DESPITE PRESSURE FROM TRUMP

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Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Republican senators that the
politics of the border have shifted, referencing former President Trump's desire
to make immigration a centerpiece of his campaign. Mariam Zuhaib/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Mariam Zuhaib/AP


Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Republican senators that the
politics of the border have shifted, referencing former President Trump's desire
to make immigration a centerpiece of his campaign.

Mariam Zuhaib/AP

A bipartisan deal that would pair assistance to Ukraine and Israel with measures
to improve border security is facing serious political threats as negotiators
aim to finalize a deal.

The talks seemed on the verge of collapse Wednesday after Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell suggested the politics around the agreement have shifted, but
negotiators have vowed to forge ahead.

Punchbowl News first reported that McConnell told Republican senators the
politics "have changed" because former President Trump wants to build his
reelection campaign around immigration. "We don't want to do anything to
undermine him," McConnell reportedly said.

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A spokesperson for the minority leader did not dispute the Punchbowl report when
NPR asked for comment.

McConnell's comments deflated hopes that a deal could be made public this week.
Negotiators told reporters as early as Monday that they were nearing a final
agreement on outstanding issues like parole for asylum seekers.

But McConnell appeared to back away from his comments on Thursday, telling
reporters he still supports the talks.

The border agreement has been explicitly tied to security funding for Israel and
Ukraine and any failure could threaten chances of Congress passing that aid.
President Biden agreed to couple his funding request with border security
elements at the behest of Republicans, including McConnell.

Deputy White House Press Secretary Olivia Dalton told reporters Thursday that
the White House remains committed to getting deal on border and national
security funding.

"The president has been clear, we need action on the border," Dalton told
reporters aboard Air Force One. "We've been engaging in good faith, bipartisan
negotiations with both Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans to that end. And
we believe that there's no reason that shouldn't continue."


NEGOTIATORS REFUSE TO GIVE UP HOPE

Still, senators on both sides of the aisle insisted Thursday that the deal is
not dead. Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford, the lead Republican involved in the
talks, said negotiations were still moving forward, and that McConnell was
acknowledging the "political realities" of the situation, but not suggesting the
deal be abandoned.



"We started this in October, and it's not October anymore," Lankford said. "You
know, it's now January. The end of January. And we're in the middle of a
presidential primary season ... that's just a reality."

Sen. Chris Murphy, the lead Democrat involved in negotiations, said he has not
spoken to McConnell about his comments, but reiterated that "talks are ongoing."

"I think the Republican conference is going to make a decision in the next 24
hours as to whether they actually want to get something done or whether they
want to leave the border a mess for political reasons," said Murphy, D-Conn.


TRUMP'S INFLUENCE OVER GOP POLICYMAKING

While text of an agreement has not yet been released, Trump spoke out against a
bipartisan framework last week, writing on his social media site, Truth Social:
I do not think we should do a Border Deal, at all, unless we get EVERYTHING
needed to shut down the INVASION of Millions & Millions of people, many from
parts unknown, into our once great, but soon to be great again, Country!"

He added that House Speaker Mike Johnson should only accept a deal that is
"perfect."


POLITICS


IF THE BORDER DEAL GETS THROUGH SENATE REPUBLICANS, IT COULD STILL FAIL IN THE
HOUSE


POLITICS


AN UNPRECEDENTED YEAR IN IMMIGRATION, AND IN ANTI-IMMIGRATION RHETORIC

Trump's comments comments were a serious blow to the talks. Significant border
provisions were meant to garner Republican support for Ukraine assistance, which
the party has increasingly soured on. House Republicans in particular have
little appetite for more Ukraine aid, and have been insisting that the Senate
take up a border bill they previously passed — without a single Democratic vote
— instead of working on a bipartisan one.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who supports aid for Ukraine, stressed that Thursday
his state "can't continue to absorb" the number of migrants currently crossing
the border, which hit a record high of 2.5 million people last year.

"President Trump, you know, obviously he's an important voice but we have a job
to do. And we intend to do it," Cornyn said. "Some people are saying, 'well you
know, we can't give President Biden a win, because he desperately needs this.'
But the magnitude of this problem is so great that this is not going to be all
of a sudden fixed here in the next 10 months."

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