Democrats have rejected demands made by Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, that the US border with Mexico be strengthened in return for aiding Ukraine.
Source: European Pravda with reference to The Hill
Details: Johnson stated on 10 January that Republicans in the House of Representatives would reject any additional aid to Kyiv unless significant elements of the GOP’s previous border bill – such as building hundreds of miles of new wall on the US-Mexico border – were included.
“That border fight is coming, and we’re going to die on that hill,” he said.
House Democrats, who are in favour of stricter immigration restrictions but not more funding for border security, immediately hit back against those remarks. They have threatened to thwart any package on Ukraine that contains those border security clauses if Johnson puts it to a vote, which is a serious threat because Democratic support is required for the bill to pass.
“That would be ridiculous. Unfortunately it would be to the detriment of Ukraine if they did that,” said Democrat Congressman Mark Pocan.
The border wall, in particular, has been the subject of fierce debate between the parties in recent years, and Johnson’s proposal was swiftly rejected by Democrats, who warned that they would never support a package on Ukraine that included the construction of a wall as envisioned in the Republican border bill.
“That’s a non-starter for me, and I think for most of us,” said Democratic Congressman Juan Vargas.
“I don’t think it’s realistic,” Bennie Thompson, the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, commented as well.
Democratic Congressman Raúl Grijalva went even further, accusing Republicans of offering pseudo-solutions to very complex problems with the sole purpose of riling nationalist voters.
The disagreement over how best to handle the situation at the southern border, and Johnson’s demands in particular, has added another challenge to the months-long endeavour to provide more military aid to Ukraine, which has been beset by the full-scale Russian invasion for almost two years.
Background:
- The White House has stated that it has funds for only one package of military assistance to Ukraine, after which it will run out of money without a congressional decision.
- After Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine on the night of 29-30 December, US President Joe Biden stressed that Congress needs to approve additional aid for Ukraine as soon as possible.
- On 27 December, the US announced a US$250 million military aid package for Ukraine – its final one in 2023.
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/01/12/7436976/
The Dems won’t budge, the MAGA gang won’t budge. Meanwhile Ukrainians are dying because of these so called politicians that act more like schoolkids than people responsible for running a country. If they can’t compromise, this will haunt the US for years, they will be labelled as an unreliable partner by their allies.
“The Dems won’t budge, the MAGA gang won’t budge.”
That’s not true.
So who is budging then?
“The Dems won’t budge, the MAGA gang won’t budge.”
That’s not true. The Democrats tried to negotiate; it’s only the MAGAt morons who wouldn’t budge. Democrats were negotiating since mid-December. But Republicans were refusing to negotiate, and insisting that they wouldn’t allow any aid to go to Ukraine unless Republicans got all their demands.
And some of those MAGAt morons are saying no money for Ukraine no matter what.
The GOP is trying to get the border locked down, and that is entirely reasonable. The Dems don’t want that, and that is utterly unreasonable. The hardcore MAGAts, are equally ridiculous in insisting there be no more aid for Ukraine.
There are plenty of idiots on both sides, but Americans are of the opinion that what is happening on the southern border is an invasion. That the Democrats don’t want to deal with the problem will end up being reflected on aid to Ukraine.
That is the stupidity we are enduring in the US.
Republicans blocked every piece of legislation to reform the border as well as blocked all funding.
But they want you to believe that the crisis is all Joe Biden’s fault.
“Americans are of the opinion that what is happening on the southern border is an invasion.”
Some are. Many understand it’s a complicated issue that Congress has failed to do anything about through many election cycles.
“That the Democrats don’t want to deal with the problem”
That’s not true. Democrats don’t want to accept the radical changes that the MAGAts are trying to force through by holding Ukraine hostage.
House speaker Mike Johnson said the House conference does not want and will not accept a compromise, such as the one senators were working on; they want a complete change of policy. That is, the Republicans in the House, who have a majority of two, are bowing to their far-right members and insisting that until that faction’s policies are put in place over those of the Senate and the president, they will refuse to fund Ukraine, whose defense from Russian aggression is key to our own national security.
It’s a wild power grab. And it is apparently being done with an eye to 2024. Representative Troy Nehls (R-TX) said to Manu Raju, Melanie Zanona, and Lauren Fox of CNN, “Let me tell you, I’m not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat and to help Joe Biden’s approval rating.”
Let’s mine the border and send Ukraine all that is needed for victory
^bert
Who to hate more for this complete fiasco? The Republicans or the Democrats?
Both equally!
The Democrats want to supply aid to Ukraine. The Republicans are blocking it. Choose your side.
I choose no side. They are both being stupid.
I choose the side that wants to help Ukraine, over the side that wants to hold Ukrainian aid hostage over something totally unrelated.
MTG flat-out said, “No more funding for Ukraine.”
I’m afraid that some here fall for the false narrative that it’s related to border security. But I think it’s clear that, as the article suggests, “Johnson is seeking to scuttle the new Ukraine funding by linking it to immigration provisions he knows Democrats will reject.”
Not all Republicans are “magaputler shitheads”, but the ones who are are the ones driving the clown car.
The problem is the US needs those immigration provisions. The US also needs aid for Ukraine. I can understand the GOP members willing to help Ukraine horse trading for border security. Both issues bear on US security and neither can be ignored.
The US needs immigration reform, but it does *not* need the radical changes that the radical MAGAts in the HFC are trying to force.
“neither can be ignored.”
They’ve been ignoring what they need to do for many years. How about they do their jobs, and come up with some legislation that’s acceptable to both sides?
I am sad to see that the red-Trumpist gangrene has swallowed up even the free spirits of this forum.
Is it possible to balance Biden’s policies with all the maneuvers of Nazi henchmen to destroy Ukraine? You are sick, I apologize, but your fucking conservative postures will destroy you and Ukraine with it if you don’t wake up!
I’m not sure about a lot of things. But I am sure that Tatcher, Regean and co would have had a single and correct posture: do not back down, support fair conservatism, move forward and defend the free world.
MAGAt Mike Johnson said, “That border fight is coming, and we’re going to die on that hill.”
But it’s the Ukrainians who are dying, and he doesn’t care.
Americans are being killed because of the invasion through Mexico. The fight must take place.
“Americans are being killed because of the invasion through Mexico.”
How so?
If your answer is drugs, keep in mind that illegal drugs are being imported in bulk on airplanes or in vehicles driving through legal ports of entry. They’re not being carried by immigrants swimming across the Rio Grande. So what the radical MAGAts are demanding wouldn’t affect the import of illegal drugs.
If you’re referring to the handful of Americans killed by illegal immigrants, that pales in comparison with the hundreds of Ukrainians killed every day by the Russians.
The Dems are afraid that their aid for the party (Cocaïne) will no more make it from Mexico to the US…