In a spirited push to resolve the ongoing standoff over new U.S. military aid, the U.S. Senate is keeping its doors open next week. The move is part of a determined, last-ditch effort to strike a deal on the border issue, which, if successful, could unlock additional aid for Ukraine and Israel.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, visualizing a hopeful scenario, is prescribing a deal in principle by the approaching Monday. Regardless of permutations and small hiccups, Schumer stands committed to holding a vote on an aid package the following week.
If whispers around the corridors of power are any indication, the last 24 hours have been witnessing some promising signs of progress. The White House has begun to mellow, signaling a willingness to make significant concessions on the border. This recent softening has lifted the spirits of Democratic negotiators who now feel encouraged about the progress of the process.
However, this optimism has not sufficiently rubbed off on Republican negotiators. Their skepticism about the feasibility of finalizing a deal next week stems from the complexities of the issue and the voluminous steps involved in the process.
But this sudden engagement by the White House in the negotiations has communicated to Senate Republicans that the issue has become a serious one. It has spurred discussions on the specific elements that a potential deal would encompass. Yet, there is no formal legislative text in sight even though the White House has been involved for three days.
A pragmatic perspective suggests the possibility of prolonging the conversation in search of a suitable deal that everybody can reconcile with. The suggestion is to power through December and come back refreshed in January to put things in place.
Regardless of whether the Senate is able to pass something or not, the fact that the House has already adjourned for the year implies that the fruition of the deal in the form of a signed law would be deferred to January at the earliest. Thus, while speedy negotiations are the order of the day, patience will be the driving force heading into the new year.
