A hard-fought bipartisan deal to impose new US border restrictions and unlock Ukraine war aid is on the brink of collapsing in the Senate, Bloomberg writes.
Republican support crumbled in the face of opposition from GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump.
Republican senators emerged from a contentious, 90-minute meeting Monday night arguing that a planned Wednesday vote on the measure was too soon.
Republicans — even those who had been open to the deal — soured, the newspaper notes. "I think the proposal is dead," Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of Ukraine aid, said.
James Lankford, the key Republican in the negotiations, said he expects Wednesday’s planned procedural vote to fail because senators say they want more time to consider and make changes to the bill. He called the legislation
“a work in progress” and joked he’s not prepared to have a funeral yet.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who had supported the Sunday compromise, said GOP discussions would continue Tuesday.