Senate Republicans demand border concessions in exchange for aid to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Republicans say Democrats are not taking negotiations seriously when it comes to changes at the southern border.

“The Commander in Chief Joe Biden needs to wake up, and do something about our broken border,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said.

Graham held a press conference Thursday with a group of Republican senators, and said he wants to see major changes at the U.S. border in exchange for additional aid to Ukraine. Graham said one of those changes includies forcing migrants to await asylum hearings outside the country. Graham says wait times for hearings often takes 3-4 years.

“Stay outside the United States,” Graham said. “Once you let people loose into the country, it gets back all over the world that once you get to America you never leave. The first thing you need to do to stop the flow, or slow it down is to make sure people waiting for the asylum hearing are not released into the country.”

Democrats said they are attempting to negotiate on the border, but it is dangerous to tie such a hot button political issue like the border to an ongoing war involving Russia.

“This is a national security moment for our country,” Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-GA, said. “Protecting, or giving Ukraine the resources it needs, is not just about Ukraine.”

Graham said President Joe Biden needs to take the lead for Democrats in negotiations. Biden said he’s willing to negotiate, but the White House will only go so far.

“The president put forth a comprehensive plan on day one, almost three years ago,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Almost. And what they do instead is put forth extreme, extreme, extreme bills.”

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