Lawmakers ‘encouraged’ by border security talks, but timing of deal uncertain

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said Sunday they were “encouraged” with the direction the border security talks were going but that the timing of the potential deal remained uncertain. 

Senate negotiators have been huddled together for weeks as they attempt to reach a deal on border security provisions that could unlock additional aid for Ukraine and Israel in the supplemental funding package. Senators and the White House signaled optimism last week that a deal on the border could be nearing a close.

Despite many of the lawmakers saying they were making progress on border negotiations, they remain split on when a deal will actually come to fruition. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that a potential border deal could come as soon as this week.

“And I think our negotiators right now from our Republican and Democrat negotiators, who are really diligent, doing a great job, and then basically with the White House involved, committed to getting this border under control,” he said Sunday. “That’s what I’m really very hopeful for, and I think we’re gonna see something next week, and we’ll stay there until we get it done.”

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) also said that he hopes a potential deal will come this week, adding on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” that he is “likely” to support the legislation. He said a failure to reach a deal “would be a huge gift to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and [Chinese President] Xi Jinping and Hamas.”

“Well, I need to know the final deals, but I am likely to support this. I have spoken with a number of the negotiators,” he said. “They have been working hard this weekend. I am hopeful that we can reach a conclusion this coming week.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said on ABC News’s “This Week” that he “hopes” the negotiations on the border security and foreign aid package are progressing as negotiators remain tight-lipped on when a potential deal could come through. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) also said he believes the negotiations are moving forward but did not speak on a potential timeline.

“Well, I talked to a couple of key negotiators yesterday and they feel like they’re making some progress, but I know [Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)] thinks there’s going to be some deal cut behind closed doors and then jam it through the Senate and then jam the House. That’s not going to happen,” Cornyn said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) suggested that a deal on the border would not come until next year, blaming the Biden administration for choosing “bad policies” on the border.

“We’re not anywhere close to a deal, it’ll go into next year,” Graham said. “The policy choices of the Biden administration [have] made the border a dangerous place to come to.”

Even if the Senate and the White House came to an agreement on the border, it would likely face an uphill battle in the House as some Republicans have signaled they may want stronger border provisions than what the Democratic-led White House and Senate will propose. 

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said on “Face the Nation” that lawmakers need to “sweeten the deal” on border security in order for a supplemental aid package to pass the House. He added that the deal between the Senate and the White House will be “much different” than what the House wants.