Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) publicly encouraged Democrats to have bipartisan talks with Republicans over ongoing border security disputes. Republicans have long said that they would not pass any aid to Ukraine until some border measures are also passed. Democrats have resisted these talks, but now Fetterman says they should engage with the GOP.
In an interview with Politico, Fetterman explained that a real conversation between both parties must be had to get this situation dealt with. The senator’s comments came less than a day after Republicans blocked a $111 billion bill, as they want border security to be worked out alongside national security funding.
For weeks now, Republicans in both the House and the Senate have insinuated that they would withhold aid to foreign countries, such as Ukraine, until some type of solution is made for the southern border and its security and humanitarian crises.
“I hope Democrats can understand that it isn’t xenophobic to be concerned about the border,” Fetterman said to Politico. “It’s a reasonable conversation, and Democrats should engage.”
Fetterman calls on Democrats to engage in border talks amid stalled immigration negotiations https://t.co/eRlXXvsYNf
— The Messenger (@TheMessenger) December 7, 2023
President Joe Biden is requesting funding for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and i, yet this funding has been stalled as Senate Republicans seek reforms at the southern border. Many Senate Democrats have criticized the GOP for this, as they deem some of the conservative immigration policies to be too restrictive or harsh.
However, Fetterman’s recent comments — which have surprised some of his progressive base — imply that he also wants a change.
“Honestly, it’s astonishing,” he said. “And this isn’t a Fox News kind of statistic. This is the government’s. You essentially have Pittsburgh showing up there at the border.”
There does seem to be some progress between the Republicans and Democrats already. Before the Thanksgiving break, some senators from both parties were attempting to work out a deal regarding the border, though disagreements still remained.
Now, Biden has apparently said he was open to making “significant comprises” related to border security. However, what these concessions may be has not been reported.
Fetterman also doesn’t want to say what he would compromise to, as he said he didn’t want to “paint myself into a corner.”
