Morning Report — Zelensky leaves US empty-handed
By: Alexis Simendinger and Kristina Karisch (The Hill)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky nor President Biden persuaded Congress to approve more military help for Kyiv. Biden this week did not find willing Republican dealmakers on border security and immigration, or an accord with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end what Biden now calls “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza.
The president is under fire in the United Nations and from a growing number of voters for opposing a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. His son is under investigation on Capitol Hill, House conservatives are poised as early as today to launch an impeachment inquiry, and some nervous Democrats openly wish a different presidential nominee would compete in 2024.
Bottom line: Not a great week for Biden or the allies he’s embraced.
And the president is feeling the heat. He told campaign donors Tuesday in his most publicly critical comments since Oct. 7 that “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza and the resulting high civilian death toll in pursuit of Hamas fighters was eroding U.S. and European support for Israel.
“I think he has to change,” Biden said of Netanyahu, but the “government in Israel is making it very difficult for him to move.”
Zelensky, standing by Biden’s side Tuesday at the White House, called for “results” from Washington, not just words of support during his whirlwind lobbying for additional U.S. funding to continue battling Russia. “We’re going to stay at your side,” the president said during their joint news conference. He offered no reassurances that Congress will do the same.
CNN: Russia has lost 87 percent of the active-duty troops it had before invading Ukraine, and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who supports additional U.S. funding for Ukraine as soon as possible, said it’s unlikely to clear Congress before Christmas. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who wants tougher restrictions on migration before taking up the international assistance Biden has requested, predicted the effort is likely to extend into 2024.
During immigration discussions with Senate leaders late Tuesday, the White House signaled it is open to a new border authority to expel migrants without asylum screenings, as well as a dramatic expansion of immigration detention and deportations, CBS News reported. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas began engaging with Senate negotiators this week.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said Republicans aren’t going to budge.
“We’ve said all along that if you want to tie securing the border to the Ukraine funding, so be it,” Marshall said, referring to the president during a Tuesday interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill.”
“He’s the one that lumps these together, but now we have this once-in-a-generation opportunity to use Ukraine funding to leverage the border. And by golly, we’re going to do it,” the senator added.
Democrats in the Senate are adamant they will not leave Washington this month without passing aid for Ukraine, but negotiators thus far have been at loggerheads to find a hurry-up compromise on migration and policies at the border. The White House focus to date has been on finding a compromise in the Senate, not in the conservative House.
Sen. Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), in a Tuesday statement, accused the administration of ignoring immigrant communities. “It is truly shameful that President Biden and his administration are considering selling out migrants and asylum seekers in order to placate extreme Republicans who are jeopardizing our national security and that of our allies just to score a political point,” he wrote.
The goal of comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Washington since 1986.
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Biden must be blabbering mad that border security has taken priority over Ukraine. Good.
I wonder if Biden asked Zelenskyy to come and appeal to the American people as a kind of Hail Mary pass against the House?
That would be my quess as well. But we can't forget the spending spree he and his wife went on during their trips. Makes me wonder how much they are skimming off the aid payments.
All of this can easily be solved by Biden. All he has to do is secure the border.
Then what will the Democrats use for their victim base?
All of this can easily be solved by Biden. All he has to do is secure the border.
Lol, sure. Biden could also solve climate change. All he has to do is remove the green house gasses from the atmosphere. What is he waiting for?
Victimhood can be tricky.
Do they know that the language of Ukraine (Russian) is banned in Ukraine?
Do they know that for almost 80 years that Europe was content to use the US for their protection?
I know it is so hard to turn people away.
Bad week for Zelensky.
I notice you didn't say it was a good week for AMERICANS. I wonder why.
lol your red box rules negate most of our friends on the left here
That said, good to see congress actually doing its job for a change.
Finally. It's a Christmas miracle!!!
So, unless the gop gets its "Unimaginably Cruel" border measures the Ukraine can fall under Russian domination? Have I got that right?
SMH. We were winning...
We have to take care of our own FIRST. But I guess you see that as a bad thing.
The fact that Joe would rather not give Ukraine money than give some to protect our borders shows how much treasonous brain dead Biden hates his own people and country.
Is that your little euphemism for following immigration laws?
"Unimaginably Cruel"
What does that mean, they don't get free new iphones when illegally coming in the country?
We were winning what? At the border? In Ukraine?
Why do we need " migrants and asylum seekers " in the first place ?
I was told that we need them to fill all the available jobs that nobody wants. I was told we are lucky to have them.
I hope you didn't believe them
Thus far they've failed to encourage anyone to believe them.
The problem is there is a LEGAL way to be a migrant and asylum seeker. The majority of what we are seeing cross the border are in no way legal. But some refuse to acknowledge that little fact.
I'm trying to find a legal way to be a migrant asylum seeker but it's hard. It looks like you have to actually be here in order to apply. Congress could make an online application process available so migrants know before making long dangerous journeys to the border but they haven't.
From USA.gov:
Learn if you are eligible and how to apply for asylum
To be eligible for asylum, you must be:
In most cases, a decision will be made on your asylum application within 180 days after you file. Learn more about the process of seeking asylum in the U.S. , including:
The problem is that they are being released with little or no processing, free to roam the USA.
Then there is the even bigger problem of the "got aways".
Because Congress refuses to plug this hole. Only Congress can authorize the funding for more housing and immigration courts to hold and process these people in a timely manner. The GOP's new idea is to put ankle monitors on children?
Yeah, the backlog seems to be in the processing by immigration courts. Detention facilities are full so they get released on OR with a court date. Missing that court date should result in a arrest warrant being issued and deportation when arrested although I doubt that's happening as much as it should. Mandatory, well enforced E-verify should be enacted by Congress.
A deportation order IS often issued when a court date is missed.
This is a talking point that often gets loopholed by the same people who claim to be tough on immigration.
You notice that NOWHERE does it say entering the US at a point that is not an authorized POE?
Also what you listed leaves off that people can apply for asylum at any of the HUNDREDS of embassy's around the world.
A deportation order is meaningless.
Which is why Congress needs a bi-partisan plan to expand the housing and immigration court system. Catch them early, house them where they know they are, give them timely due process and release those who qualify with proper documentation and return those who don't. Cases should take weeks not years.
The system if fine. It's the hordes of illegals streaming across the border and an incompetent administration that is the problem.
No, it's not. The system itself has been asking for this help for decades, because of the number of people crossing the border has increased exponentially since the 70's. You will NEVER get 2000 miles of fencing and militarize the border. It won't happen. The pathetic attempts to make this a partisan issue makes it all but certain it will never be fixed.
THERE!!!!! Right there!!!! You stated the problem. And you don't even know it. If you want the system fixed, you must first stop the hordes flowing over the border illegally. Once that is done then you can work on the system.
Actually it can be done. First we need to quite sending money and equipment overseas. This article is a very good start. Send parasites like Zelensky back home empty handed. The money and supplies are better used to secure OUR border.
I did state the problem and I do know it. I also stated the most efficient and cost effective way to fix address the issue.
Sure, if one supports an authoritarian government that suspends the laws and Constitution we could do it. I'm not sure you would like this result anymore than a dog that chases cars like it when he catches one.
No. You gave the same nonsense we've all been fed for years None of which have worked.
Do you not know there are laws that requires the border to be secured? Lets start with 6 CFR
Is that true? The govt website just says you must be "inside the United States". It doesn't say you can go to embassies. That would be a good thing though but, there's no guarantee they could enter the embassy either. I was denied entry to a french embassy once because I didn't have my passport.
Maybe you should be doing some more research.
Both the Ukraine and the USA should have secure borders
Unfortunately the only border this administration is worried about is Ukraine's.
Has Brandon ever met Bibi? Bibi isn't being force to do anything in Gaza. Bibi is pissed at Brandon for putting minor restraints on Israel's operation. Bibi doesn't care about dead Palestinian women and children. In fact he doesn't care about Palestinians at all. If he did, Israel wouldn't be using Gaza as cover for ramping up settlement expansion in the West Bank- and settler/IDF operations trying for force Palestinians out of their homes and refugee camps.
Brandon's disconnect from reality continues.
“He’s the one that lumps these together, but now we have this once-in-a-generation opportunity to use Ukraine funding to leverage the border. And by golly, we’re going to do it,” the senator added.
Let's hope they capitalize on Biden's big blunder. But Biden's priority is an open southern border and flooding the country with illegals, not helping Ukraine.