Lankford: Border deal text unlikely this week

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said Monday that border issues have become a top priority for House Republicans as negotiators work on a package that could lift aid to Ukraine. suggested that legislative text for a border deal is unlikely to arrive this week.

Lankford, the top Republican negotiator, told reporters that the group made significant progress over the Christmas break, but that an agreement could not be reached by Wednesday, when Senate Republicans are scheduled to hold a special session dedicated to border negotiations. He said that there are still too many issues to be resolved.

“We have made a lot of progress. While passing through all areas [and] Trying to write and making sure everyone is on board takes a long time…I wanted that. That’s not going to happen,” Lankford said in response to a question about the possibility of the document being released before Wednesday’s meeting. “There are still many unresolved issues. There are too many unresolved issues.”

“But I'll tell you just yesterday, I thought we were close, but with all the meetings last night and today, we won't be able to get there by Wednesday,” he said. continued. “I didn't progress as quickly as I had hoped.”

The Oklahoma Republican added that it was “doubtful” that the document would be released by Friday.

“It is highly likely that the next [week],” He said.

The remarks came after other Senate leaders offered a rosy outlook on the debate.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, R-New York, said on the floor in the early afternoon that negotiators had “a very promising few days” and that negotiators “have a lot more people than we do on the border in the last few days.” There has been progress.” I have done so in the past few weeks. ” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) added that he was “encouraged” by the progress of the talks.

But pitfalls remain for negotiating groups, with the question of how to deal with parole being the centerpiece. Several senators said Monday that this issue remains the biggest sticking point.

During the break, Lankford met with Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), as well as other White House officials, with most of the meetings taking place in person at the Capitol. Including last week when it happened.

Murphy told reporters Monday that his hope is to get the documents “as soon as possible,” but that there are still unresolved issues. He declined to discuss specific issues in the negotiations, but stressed that negotiators were still navigating dangerous waters.

“Many of us have warned that it is not a good idea to make bailouts for Ukraine and Europe conditional on whether we can craft a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Rightfully so,” Murphy said. “Immigration reform is really difficult. Time is running out. Ukraine is on the brink of crisis.”

Senate Republicans are hopeful that more details will come during Wednesday's meeting, although the document is unlikely to arrive at that point. Officials said in recent weeks that Mr. Lankford kept his card close to his vest during press conference lunches to avoid leaking information that could jeopardize ongoing discussions.

“We need to provide more information so people know,” Lankford said. “During my work, I've tried to give people as much information as possible. … This is just long and complicated, so that's what makes it difficult.”

Once a deal emerges and is approved by the Senate, the difficult task of pitching the potential package to House Republicans remains across the aisle. Mr. Lankford will take the first step in doing just that during his weekly lunch on Wednesday when he outlines the Republican Study Committee, the largest group of House conservatives.

House Republicans have been vocal in their support for HR2, with some saying it could be used to block President Biden's political victory in an election year, or because the bill doesn't contain enough. The government has announced that it will not support any compromise solution. Original partisan packaging. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) compared Mr. Lankford to a “goalie on a darts team” for his task of winning the needed support.

“That’s probably not a bad analogy,” Lankford said with a laugh. “At a football game, there's a lot of people cheering, screaming, booing, but the 22 people out on the field are actually being attacked. That's different. For those of us who have played on the field. , we're going to get a lot of hits, we're going to have a lot of people cheering and booing in the stands, and we understand that, but we still have to do our job.”