Congress hesitant to approve funding for Israel, Ukraine, and southern border in near future

Lawmakers return to Washington this week with billions of dollars in funding up in the air for Israel, Ukraine, and border security. There is widespread skepticism on whether Congress will answer President Biden’s pleas to take action on global crises. The commander-in-chief has requested Congress to approve $106 billion in emergency funding, but with Republicans voicing skepticism and progressive Democrats calling for restrictions, bleak notes have been sounded through Thanksgiving weekend. It seems very difficult to get it done by the end of the year, according to Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio). He criticized the White House approach to including border security in its massive spending proposal. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have said they won’t support funding for Ukraine unless the U.S. cracks down on immigration. The outbreak of war in the region and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represent a major test of U.S. leadership on the global stage, with a presidential election coming up next year, resulting in high stakes on the home front.