Brooks and Capehart on Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington and defending democracy abroad
PBS NewsHourNov 29, 2022
Zelenskyy Meets With Biden, Top US Officials
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The Facts
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Capitol Hill Tuesday to make a last-ditch request for more funding for the war against Russia. While US Pres. Joe Biden has asked Congress to pass a $110.5B emergency aid package including $50B for Ukraine, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters after a meeting with Zelenskyy that a "national security supplemental spending package" must first include more funding for America's southern border.
In the Senate Republican leader Senator Mitch McConnel of Kentucky said that while he agrees with Democrats on funding Ukraine, "We know that our border, just like Ukraine's borders and Israel's and Taiwan's, must be inviolable." For his part, Zelenskyy did not take a side in the domestic immigration debate, instead sticking to his country's need for more funding.
The Spin
Republican narrative
The American people have all but given up on Biden's domestic and foreign policy skills, which is why he must finally take the role of lead negotiator in this debate and give the GOP what it wants in exchange for Ukraine aid. As countless illegal migrants cross the border every day, Biden's approval on immigration has dropped to 33%. If he wishes to continue funding Ukraine, let alone win in 2024, he will have to listen to the desires of the American people, including the GOP, and demand a solution before Congress breaks for the holidays.
Democratic narrative
While some Republicans may care about border security, that's not why the Trump loyalists in the House are blocking this bill. What they actually care about is creating governmental chaos to the point where it looks as if governmental institutions themselves don't work. This is why they almost shut down the government during the budget debate and will likely do it again next month. The GOP wants to erode every norm of American politics, and not only is America paying the price but, shamefully, Ukraine is as well.