02/01/2024

Senate GOP Split Threatens Bipartisan Border Deal as Trump Looms Large

The former president continues to exert influence over some lawmakers

Senate Republicans demanded that President Joe Biden's national security funding package for Ukraine be tied to policy changes to address the crisis at the southwest border. But now that negotiators say they are ready to release details of a bipartisan plan to reduce the surge of migrants at the border, Republican divisions could scuttle the plan.

Months of negotiations between the Democrats, Republicans and the Biden administration officials are now threatened by politics. Donald Trump, the former president and the GOP's likely 2024 presidential nominee, has been publicly slamming the deal and urging lawmakers to oppose it.

Negotiators started the week promising to release a bill in the coming days. But by Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to signal he's ready to move on, and focus on getting money to two key U.S. allies at war.

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