Some US lawmakers offer to cancel holiday breaks to advance Ukraine aid bill – WP
Some American Congress members are suggesting they remain in Washington, D.C. past December 14 in order to prioritize legislation around further aid for Ukraine and border security funding, rather than immediately beginning their holiday breaks, The Washington Post reports.
"We shouldn’t leave here until we’ve figured out how to overcome our differences to support and continue our funding for Ukraine," said Democratic Senator Michael Bennet.
In his opinion, "time is running out", and if these negotiations are delayed, they will only become more difficult after the end of the winter break.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney criticized US President Joe Biden for his "passivity" on this issue.
"The president made a commitment to Zelenskyy. To honor that commitment, they’re going to need to secure the border. If I were the president, I would twist every Democrat arm and maybe some Republican arms, and say, ‘Get the job done'," he told journalists.
After December 14, both houses of Congress will go on Christmas break and return just a month later. Republican leader Mitch McConnell is convinced that Congress will not pass aid to Ukraine by Christmas. Even in the case of a compromise between the two parties.
On December 6, 2023, President Biden appealed to Congress to approve additional funding for military assistance to Ukraine. He emphasized that failing to stop Russian President Putin in Ukraine could allow further Russian aggression, potentially requiring direct U.S. military involvement down the line.
The White House announced that previously approved funding for Ukraine aid will be depleted by the end of 2023 without passage of a new congressional package.
Despite these concerns from the Biden administration, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has expressed confidence that Ukraine can overcome any potential pause in U.S. military assistance.
President Biden said that he will try to reach a compromise with the Republicans on the issues of aid to Ukraine and the protection of American borders.