US Congress goes on vacation, leaving the issue of aid to Ukraine and the border until January
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Congressional recess leaves issues such as aid to Ukraine and border security unresolved, making January a challenging month
The U.S. Congress left Washington this week, on Christmas Eve, for an extended recess, with several key issues unresolved, including emergency aid to Ukraine and increased border security, setting the stage for a difficult January, Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
According to the newspaper, US lawmakers will have to face two deadlines regarding the government shutdown and continue efforts on one bill that will simultaneously fund Ukraine's defense against Russia and slow the flow of migrants across the US-Mexico border. Meanwhile, Republican voters will begin to choose their candidate to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 elections, the publication points out.
"We will get right down to business," Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said of the return of Congress in the week of January 8.
Biden called on Congress to approve $61 billion in additional support for Ukraine, which conservative Republicans have demanded be paired with stricter border security laws at a time when record numbers of immigrants are arriving.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and his Republican colleagues are criticizing Biden over border control, an issue that US voters are increasingly concerned about.
Congress has also set a deadline for funding US government programs - January 19 and February 2. Failure to reach an agreement on 12 spending bills after a year of struggle to reduce the deficit will lead to massive government shutdowns, the newspaper writes.
"Bipartisan talks in the Senate are also continuing during the recess with the goal of reaching a deal to reform outdated U.S. asylum laws. This would open the door for votes in the Senate to help Ukraine and direct U.S. aid to Israel for its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and for Taiwan," the newspaper points out.
White House expects Congress to approve aid to Ukraine in January20.12.23, 21:15 • 32879 views
Shortly before leaving town on Wednesday, Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell virtually echoed Schumer's words of urgency, saying in a speech that the unusual combination of U.S. immigration reform and foreign military aid is urgently needed from South Texas to Southeast Asia to the Red Sea.
Both Schumer and McConnell acknowledged that passing the first major immigration changes in four decades is a difficult task. But the same can be said for allocating approximately $1.5 trillion to keep a number of regular government programs running, the publication notes.