US Is Neglecting Its Most Important Duty

Republicans in Congress have blocked important aid for Ukraine and are heading off on their Christmas break. But all hope is not lost. It is up to the Democrats to hold their opponents accountable.

Sometimes politics makes frustrating theater. That wouldn’t be so bad or might even be considered entertainment if it weren’t for the potentially immense cost and risk for uninvolved third parties. This is currently happening to Ukraine with respect to U.S. aid that it desperately needs to defend itself against Russia’s overwhelming military power. Congress leaves for its Christmas break this week without passing Joe Biden’s financial package, which would have come to $44 billion for Ukraine, as well as money for Israel and border protection in the southern United States. Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington in a personal appeal to the most important Republican officials failed to stop the deadlock.

Everyone knows Ukraine faces tremendous pressure due to a growing shortage of ammunition and the need to protect cities and civilians from air strikes. After the counter-offensive failed, Ukrainian troops returned to their defensive positions. Ukraine can only hold the line against the onslaught of Russian troops and their almost limitless reserve of munitions by sustaining terribly high losses. The scenario of defeat doesn’t seem as unlikely as it did a year ago.

A victory for Vladimir Putin would not only be catastrophic for Ukraine but also for Europe and America. It would encourage Russia to be more brazen in effort to invade additional countries and would expose Western democracy as a debating team unable to defend itself, a place where nothing gets decided. But that doesn’t appear to be deterring any political battles in Washington. Congress would rather deal an impeachment investigation against President Joe Biden in connection with his son Hunter’s dubious business dealings. The many fruitless investigations are unlikely to reveal any presidential wrongdoing.

Republicans Impose Undue Conditions

At first it seems logical to blame Republicans for all the misery, as they have created a politically nonsensical link between aid for Ukraine and the highly controversial domestic border protection policy in the southern U.S., thus raising hurdles for any agreement. Moreover, when Democrats went some distance to accommodate them, Republican senators unanimously rejected the Democratic proposal last week.

But it’s not so easy. To date, Democrats haven’t appeared to be taking Republican demands that seriously. This issue shouldn’t be so difficult, especially in the case of the immigration problems at the southern border.

There is no doubt that the Biden administration’s immigration policy simply does not work. Illegal border crossings have been at an all-time high for months. Border authorities, reception centers and the asylum bureaucracy are overwhelmed. Washington has no solution to this unacceptable situation. Voters know this and, judging by the polls, they are rejecting the Democrat’s helpless migration policy by a large majority.

It would, therefore, be politically wise to hold Republicans accountable but accept their proposals for migration policy in the South. This would not only allow urgently needed aid for Ukraine, but, at the same time, Democrats would be forced to inherit the asylum policy problem. There are no easy solutions here. The likelihood that the number of unsatisfied voters will spread across both political parties would only be an advantage for the Democrats.

Democrats Must Bite the Bullet

Therefore, the Democrats need to bite the bullet. Some of the Republicans’ controversial proposals include measures Donald Trump put in place, such as making it easier to deport undocumented immigrants or assigning asylum seekers to detention on the Mexican side of the border until their asylum applications are heard.

This is poison for progressive Democrats. But didn’t Biden once run as the presidential candidate who wanted to bridge the gap between the political parties? Compromise with political opponents is possible only if clipping the wings of one’s own party is accepted every now and then. If Republicans refuse the generous offer, the public will question their commitment to resolving the migration problem and increase the pressure.

But a compromise is still possible when Congress returns from its Christmas break in January. At that point, Ukraine will need military aid even more urgently. President Biden should make the deal a top priority and negotiate an agreement that stands in the best security interests of the country.