Republicans in Congress are piling pressure on Joe Biden to accept new curbs on immigration in exchange for extra funding for Ukraine, as rising tensions on Capitol Hill risk thwarting the US president’s foreign policy goals.
The White House this week warned that in the absence of approval from lawmakers, US aid to Kyiv would dry up by the end of the year, jeopardising Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and making it easier for Vladimir Putin to “prevail” in his war on the country.
Biden has requested about $60bn in funding for Ukraine as part of a $106bn package that includes additional assistance to Israel and US allies in the Indo-Pacific. But despite the pleas from Biden and many Democrats, Republicans are demanding big concessions from the White House on policies to curb immigration across the border with Mexico. Republicans in Congress
“We have to effect real policy change at the border, and that is a necessary condition to anything we do going forward,” Mike Johnson, the Republican House Speaker, told reporters on Tuesday. The White House also needed to answer a number of crucial questions for any negotiations to proceed, Johnson added. “What is the objective? What is the end game in Ukraine? How are we going to have proper oversight over the funds, the precious treasure of American taxpayers?”