Senate Democrat ‘optimistic’ border deal is reached in ‘coming days’

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) said he was optimistic a border deal would be reached within days, but said it would ultimately be House Republicans' fault if the deal doesn't cross the finish line.

“President Biden has asked for involvement and leadership from Congress, and I'm optimistic that we're very close to completing a package that will allow us to do that in the coming days,” Coons said on CNN's “State of the Union.” said in an interview.

“And if House Republicans refuse to take up, consider, and pass this bill, we will have another year of millions of people struggling to get to the southern border, only to be turned away or ultimately deported.” '', Coons added.

Coons' comments come as Congressional leaders try to reach an agreement that party leaders in each chamber can agree to. Biden last week invited Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other congressional party leaders to the White House to meet with national security experts and discuss the need for Congress to provide aid to Ukraine. He emphasized the urgency of the situation.

A White House proposal late last year bundled funding for border security, Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region, but there has yet to be bipartisan agreement on the request from Congress.

With a narrow majority in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to make concessions on far-right conservative border policies, which are unlikely to pass in the Senate.

Coons said in the interview that he believes it is “important for our country” that Biden address the border issue and highlighted the president's efforts to advance legislation.

“Securing our borders is nationally important and politically important. As a reminder, President Biden, in his first State of the Union address to Congress, announced his commitment to legally address our deeply broken immigration system. I asked for Congressional leadership.”

“In a request for additional funding months ago, President Biden hired thousands more Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection agents to help people here who cannot prove they have a right to asylum. He also asked for $14 billion to deport them. . . . President Biden wants Congressional involvement and leadership.”