Republicans storm out of briefing as Congress battles over Israel and Ukraine aid package
NBCNov 23, 2023
Biden Willing to 'Compromise' After Republicans Block Ukraine, Israel Aid
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The Facts
US Pres. Joe Biden has said he's willing to make "significant compromises" on the country's border policies, after the issue became a key stumbling block for advancing his roughly $100B national security package in Congress this week. The funding request includes allocations for securing America's southern border with Mexico, military aid for Israel and Ukraine, and funds for humanitarian aid.
Before the package went to a Senate vote on Wednesday, Biden reiterated that the potential failure of the proposal would have disastrous consequences for Ukraine, adding that it would be a "gift" to Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin."If Putin takes Ukraine, he won’t stop there," Biden said, claiming Russia would subsequently attack a NATO country resulting in: "American troops fighting Russian troops."
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Biden has demonstrated that he's willing to make serious compromises in order to pass this hugely important aid package for Ukraine. However, Republicans must now do the same. If they continue to take a hardline approach, it will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and degrade America's national security. This bill must be passed as soon as possible.
Republican narrative
Republicans want this bill to pass just as much as Democrats do. However, a key caveat is that the crisis at the southern border has to be addressed. Figures show that roughly 10K people are illegally entering the US each and every day — that's nearly 3.7M people a year. Democrats must take this issue more seriously so that talks on the spending package can proceed.