President Joe Biden's distance from Senate negotiations on a border deal critical to securing billions in military aid for Ukraine and Israel has angered some Republicans and caused suspicion among some who think the White House does not want him to agree to a deal.
Biden last week said he was willing to make "significant compromises" to "fix the broken border system" in order to get talks on funding for Ukraine back on track.
But, he added, "This has to be a negotiation."
"Republicans think they can get everything they want without any bipartisan compromise," the president said. "That's not the answer. … And now they're willing to literally kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and damage our national security in the process."
Still, he's not personally involved in negotiations, and even one of the president's close Democrat allies said it could be time for the president to step in if current talks fail.
"I think we need one more weekend of passing paper back and forth between those core group of engaged senators," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told CNN last week.
"President Biden was a senator himself for 36 years. I think he respects and understands the importance of letting the Senate work if it can, and if it really can't, then pulling everyone."
But, he warned, "we are running out of time."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have both recently echoed similar statements.
"I think we're at a point where if we're going to get something done, those that ultimately give that final say-so need to be engaged in it," Murkowski recently said.
"Joe Biden and I did do some pretty big [deals]: the fiscal cliff deal, the debt ceiling deal," McConnell told reporters last week. "What I have said to him is, 'The only way we'll get an agreement is for you to be involved. Don't just punt the ball up to Senate Democrats. They may never get there.' "
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on Thursday said negotiating with anyone but Biden is a waste of time.
"Any 'border deal' will not be with [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas, who has lost the confidence of Congress by repeated dishonesty: that the 'border is secure.' Only POTUS can commit to any 'border deal.' Anything else is a waste of time," Cornyn posted Thursday to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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