McConnell: ‘Absolutely impossible’ to pass Ukraine funding before Christmas

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) told reporters Tuesday that it would be “almost impossible” to pass legislation to provide more military aid to Ukraine while before Christmas and urged President Biden to become more involved in the stalled negotiations.

“All I said is (it’s) almost impossible, even if we reach an agreement, to do it, get it in the Senate, get it in the House before Christmas, ” McConnell said. “That doesn’t mean it’s not important.”

McConnell said Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) “told a lot of people” that the House would leave town at the end of this week, meaning even if the Senate lawmakers reach an agreement on border security, House lawmakers can’t. Don’t think about it until January.

The leader of the GOP said that Biden needs to participate more in the discussions, based on the criticism of the Senate Republicans that the White House has given the leader of the GOP negotiator, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), the round by continuing to postpone the majority. part of the negotiation with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the lead Senate Democratic negotiator.

McConnell said he told Biden directly that “the only way we’re going to get a deal is if you’re involved. Don’t just hand the ball to Senate Democrats — they might not get there.” .

“We all know he’s the only one who can sign a bill into law,” McConnell said of Biden. “Without him, there is nothing.”

McConnell said he urged both Biden and White House chief of staff Jeff Zients to play a more hands-on role in the negotiations.

“I talked to (Biden) about it. I talked to Zients about it. (There is) an indication last night that maybe they will participate after all instead of just sending James Lankford and his team back to the Senate Democrats,” he said.

“In short, there will be no agreement until Joe Biden and the Republicans reach an agreement. That did not happen. I hope so, because I think this whole package is important to our country and I want to pass it,” he said about Biden’s $106 billion emergency aid package to finance Ukraine. Israel, Indo-Pacific region and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

However, McConnell acknowledged that “it will not be easy” to pass the foreign aid package if it is late in January and then it is caught in negotiations on a government budget bill.

Funds for federal departments and agencies expire on January 19 and February 2.

McConnell made his comments hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with senators at the Capitol to ask Congress to fund another round of military aid to help Ukraine fight Russian aggression.

Zelensky also met with Johnson on Tuesday morning and was set to hold a joint press conference with Biden after a meeting at the White House in the afternoon.