Schumer: Negotiators ‘closer than we have been’ on border deal

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) suggested that talks regarding a border deal that might green-light aid for Ukraine are moving forward, and urged the House to support the potential agreement. In a briefing following the opening of the second half of the 118th Congress, Schumer reported progress in the negotiations, but highlighted the complex nature of the issues at hand. Participants in the deal must be willing to compromise for a resolution, he added.

Negotiating the deal are Senators James Lankford (R-Okla), Chris Murphy (D - Conn), and Kyrsten Sinema (I Ariz), alongside Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and top White House officials. The group resumed their in-person discussions on Tuesday, after conducting meetings throughout the holiday period. The hope had been to finalize an agreement before the holiday recess, but it was not achieved.

Reasserting his statement on compromise, Schumer urged House Republicans to ease demands on infusing their provisions in a border deal, and agreed that a bipartisan bill is the sole viable solution for securing aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and for humanitarian purposes. He opined that instead of spending time visiting the border, House representatives should be pushing for a bipartisan resolution.

Schumer didn't elaborate on the progression of any bipartisan bill, amidst the fast-approaching government funding deadlines of Jan. 19 and Feb. 2. He iterated that agreements must be achieved on every front and insinuated that it's incumbent upon the Senate to first facilitate a deal.

He pointed out that despite his involvement in government funding discussions, Speaker Mike Johnson has remained absent from ongoing border deal negotiations.