Democrats say they'll stay in DC until Senate reaches Ukraine border deal as recess nears
by Emily Jacobs, Congressional Reporter
December 12, 2023 06:00 AM
Senate Democrats are threatening to stay in Washington, D.C., over the Christmas recess if bipartisan border talks fail to produce a deal that could pass the chamber by week's end.
A bipartisan working group of senators has made next to no progress in weeks on a border security deal, which would be added to a defense spending bill that includes Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan assistance. Negotiators on both sides have acknowledged that the border measure is critical to pass the legislation through both chambers in a divided government.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), the lead GOP negotiator, said on Monday that there was no path to reaching a deal this week. He told reporters that the clock had “run out over the weekend” to be able to finish and pass a bill before members are scheduled to leave for Christmas recess.
“It’s great the White House & Dems have been talking all weekend about border security, but Republicans need to be involved,” Lankford tweeted just prior to his comments to reporters. “We are not going to make any real progress on securing the border until everyone is at the table.”
"I'm not leaving at the end of the week if we haven't done this," Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) told reporters on Monday in response to Lankford's comments. “It's always darkest before the morning. There is a deal to be had here.”
“I think we ought to consider staying into next week if we can’t do it this week,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told the Washington Examiner upon hearing what Lankford said.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/democrats-christmas-recess-threat-ukraine-border-deal
