Closing summary
Things are looking grim for the prospect of Congress approving new aid to Ukraine before the current tranche of military assistance is exhausted at the end of the year. Republicans, most notably House speaker Mike Johnson and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, spent today making it plain that they won’t support any further aid unless a compromise is reached on changes to border policies to crack down on migrant crossings – the sorts of proposals Democrats refuse to entertain. Democrats are furious, with Senate leader Chuck Schumer accusing the GOP of “hostage taking” that Ronald Reagan would not approve of.
Here’s what else went on:
Volodymyr Zelenskiy was scheduled to make a video address to senators, but canceled unexpectedly, and also did not attend a briefing to House lawmakers. Top Ukrainian officials, including chief of staff Andriy Yermak, were reportedly at the Capitol in his stead.
The House will vote on formalizing the impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden next week, which Johnson said will protect the investigation against court challenges.
Republican senator Tommy Tuberville dropped his blockade of most military promotions, which he started in February to protest a Pentagon policy helping service members access abortions.
Johnson will release footage of the January 6 insurrection recorded by House surveillance cameras – but with rioters’ faces blurred out, so they aren’t prosecuted, he said.
Patrick McHenry, the North Carolina Republican who was briefly the acting House speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s overthrow, announced he will not seek re-election.
Democrat Jack Reed chairs the Senate armed services committee, and in a statement simultaneously condemned Republican senator Tommy Tuberville for blocking military promotions while cheering his decision to end the blockade:
After months of jeopardizing our national security, Sen. Tuberville today dropped many of his holds on military promotions. I’m glad hundreds of our nation’s finest military leaders will finally receive the promotions they’ve earned. Here’s my full statement: pic.twitter.com/PMtXqXvCUz
— Senator Jack Reed (@SenJackReed) December 5, 2023
McConnell calls for Republican senators to oppose Ukraine and, Israel aid bill without border policy change
The top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell says he is encouraging his party’s lawmakers to oppose a bill that would approve military assistance to Ukraine and Israel but does not include the changes to border policy that the GOP is demanding.
The Senate’s Democratic leader Chuck Schumer announced earlier today that he would on Wednesday hold a procedural vote on legislation itoapprove the military aid, which Joe Biden request in October. But such a bill would require the support of a least nine Republicans to pass the Senate, and the GOP is demanding the inclusion of provisions to restart border wall construction and prevent many asylum seekers from entering the United States.
Even though a growing number of Republicans are opposed to continuing aid to Kyiv, McConnell has previously argued the money is necessary to counter Russia – but now says changing border policy is equally essential:
.@LeaderMcConnell (R-KY) on Ukraine supplemental funding: "I'm advocating and I hope all of our members vote no on the motion to proceed to the shell to make the point — hopefully, for the final time — that we insist on meaningful changes to the border." pic.twitter.com/w8fszsevBJ
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 5, 2023
Updated
CNN reports that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy also did not attend a briefing for House lawmakers that he was scheduled to address virtually:
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Ukrainian President Zelensky is not going to attend classified briefing virtually anymore because of a last-minute matter.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 5, 2023
Zelensky also didn’t end up appearing virtually at the House briefing on Ukraine, lawmakers said.
Earlier in the day, Politico reported that his chief of staff Andriy Yermak as well as Ukraine’s defense minister and the speaker of parliament were on Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers.
Zelenskiy unable to attend Senate briefing on Ukraine aid
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will not be able to attend a scheduled briefing of senators on the situation in the country, the Senate’s Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.
“Zelenskiy, by the way, could not make it … something happened at the last minute,” Schumer said. The Ukrainian leader was scheduled to virtually address the classified briefing for all senators at 3pm.
Schumer said earlier in the day that the Senate would hold a vote on legislation to approve more military aid to Ukraine, but the package is opposed by Republicans who are demanding stricter immigration policies.
Republican senator Tuberville ends blockade of military promotions over Pentagon abortion policy
Republican senator Tommy Tuberville has agreed to end his blockade of most military promotions in protest of a Pentagon policy paying expenses for some service members who travel to seek abortions, Reuters reports.
Tuberville’s blockade began in February after the defense department announced the abortion policy, but has come under increasing fire from both Democrats and Republicans alike for endangering US national security by preventing the military from filling high-ranking command posts.
The senator has lifted his holds of the promotion of about 400 officers, as well as other lower-ranked positions, Reuters reports, but continues to block a handful of high-ranking positions.
“I’ve still got a hold on, I think, 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released by me,” Tuberville said. “It was pretty much a draw. They didn’t get what they wanted. We didn’t get what we wanted.”
Having been booted from the House, big-time liar George Santos has apparently moved on to a new career, but that did not stop him from falling for one Democrat’s prank, the Guardian’s Gloria Oladipo reports:
Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman enlisted a Cameo video from disgraced lawmaker George Santos in “support” of the also-disgraced New Jersey senator Bob Menendez, with Santos telling Menendez to “stay strong” amid his legal woes.
In a rare example of bipartisan financial support, Fetterman paid Santos, a Republican, $200 for the personalized video as a prank. Santos did not know the “Bobby” he was recording the video for was Menendez.
Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives on Friday following a scathing ethics report that detailed his misuse of campaign funds. Ever since he has been selling videos on Cameo, a website that allows users to buy short, personalized videos from celebrities.
On X, Fetterman said he wanted to provide Menendez with “encouragement” amid the “substantial legal problems” the New Jersey senator faces.
“So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give ‘Bobby from Jersey’ some advice,” Fetterman wrote on X.
Anti-Trump Republican Liz Cheney is considering jumping to the presidential race as a third-party candidate to stop the former president from winning another term in office, the Guardian’s Edward Helmore reports:
Liz Cheney, a leading Republican critic and antagonist of Donald Trump, has said she is considering mounting her own third-party candidacy for the White House, as part of her effort to thwart the former president from returning to the Oval Office.
In her most explicit public statements to date on a potential presidential run, Cheney told the Washington Post on Tuesday she would do “whatever it takes” to block a Trump return.
Cheney, the daughter of former Republican vice-president Dick Cheney, has previously floated the idea. But she had never explicitly stated if she was thinking of running as a semi-moderate Republican party candidate or would run as an independent.
“Several years ago, I would not have contemplated a third-party run,” Cheney said in the interview. “I happen to think democracy is at risk at home, obviously, as a result of Donald Trump’s continued grip on the Republican party, and I think democracy is at risk internationally as well.”
Cheney echoed that sentiment in remarks with USA Today. She said: “I certainly hope to play a role in helping to ensure that the country has … a new, fully conservative party. And so whether that means restoring the current Republican party, which looks like a very difficult if not impossible task, or setting up a new party, I do hope to be involved and engaged in that.”
The day so far
Things are looking grim for the prospect of Congress approving new aid to Ukraine before the current tranche of military assistance is exhausted at the end of the year. Republicans, most notably House speaker Mike Johnson, have spent today making it plain that they won’t support any further aid unless a compromise is released on changes to border policies to crack down on migrant crossings – the sorts of proposals Democrats refuse to entertain. Democrats are furious, with Senate leader Chuck Schumer accusing the GOP of “hostage taking” that Ronald Reagan would not approve of.
Here’s what else has been going on today:
The House will vote on formalizing the impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden next week, which Johnson said will protect the investigation against court challenges.
Republican senator Tommy Tuberville may or may not be about to drop his blockade of military promotions.
Johnson will release footage of the January 6 insurrection recorded by House surveillance cameras – but with rioters’ faces blurred out, so they aren’t prosecuted, he said.
Republican Patrick McHenry, temporary House speaker, won't seek re-election
North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry, who unexpectedly found himself leading the House for three weeks after Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker in October, has announced he will retire from Congress.
McHenry will have served for two decades by the time he steps down at the end of next year, and three weeks of that period was spent as acting speaker until the chamber elected Mike Johnson as McCarthy’s replacement later in October.
McHenry’s western North Carolina district is seen as strongly Republican, meaning he is unlikely to be replace by a Democrat. From his statement announcing his retirement:
I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term. This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and—for me—this season has come to an end.
Past, present, and future, the House of Representatives is the center of our American republic. Through good and bad, during the highest of days and the lowest, and from proud to infamous times, the House is the venue for our nation’s disagreements bound up in our hopes for a better tomorrow. It is a truly special place and—as an American—my service here is undoubtedly my proudest. Since being sworn in January 3rd, 2005, I have worked everyday to uphold the Constitution and the system of government our founders so wisely created.…
There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because some—like me—have decided to leave. Those concerns are exaggerated. I’ve seen a lot of change over twenty years. I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn. Whether its 1974, 1994, or 2010, we’ve seen the House evolve over time. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed but at each stage, new leaders emerge. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. I’m confident the House is in good hands.
Updated
House to vote next week on formalizing impeachment inquiry into Biden - reports
House Republicans will next week hold a vote to formalize their impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden, CNN reports:
House GOP leaders announce they will have a vote next week to authorize their impeachment inquiry into Biden. Several members from swing districts indicating they will vote YES for inquiry but not sold on backing articles of impeachment
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 5, 2023
Former speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the start of the investigation in September, which centers on thus-far unproven allegations of corruption against the president in connection to his family members’ overseas business dealings.
The House has thus far held one hearing as part of the inquiry, in which Republican-invited witnesses said they were not aware of any criminal activity by the president, but said the investigation was worth continuing.
In a press conference today, the chamber’s Republican leader Mike Johnson said the vote is necessary to establish its authority to investigate the president:
.@SpeakerJohnson (R-LA): "The House has no choice, if it's going to follow its constitutional responsibility, to formally adopt an impeachment inquiry on the floor so that when the subpoenas are challenged in court, we'll be at the apex of our constitutional authority." pic.twitter.com/PWjBydib8U
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 5, 2023
Republican senator Tuberville appears set to drop blockade of military promotions – reports
Reports have emerged that Republican senator Tommy Tuberville will drop his months-long blockade of most military officer promotions.
According to CNN, the senator announced a press conference where he was expected to end to his campaign, only to quickly cancel it in favor of more informal remarks to reporters:
Tommy Tuberville will hold a press conference at 1:40p as all signed indicate an end to his blockade is near.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 5, 2023
Thune: “I was involved in a lot of conversations over the weekend on this subject and … keep your fingers crossed, we'll see -- I hope we'll have a breakthrough.”
Change of plans: Tuberville will NOT have a presser now. He wants to talk to his colleagues at lunch first, then will gaggle w reporters in the halls after.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 5, 2023
Per his office
Tuberville announced the blockade in February in protest of a Pentagon policy that will help active duty service members travel to seek abortions, if they are stationed in areas where the procedure is not accessible.
The senator’s effort was criticized by Democrats and an increasing number of Republicans as jeopardizing national security by leaving important officer roles in the military unfilled. Last month, GOP lawmakers confronted him on the Senate floor about his blockade, while the chamber moved forward with a plan that would allow them to circumvent it:
Updated
Schumer blames GOP for impasse in Ukraine aid talks, accuses them of 'hostage taking'
In yet another dismal sign for the prospects of Congress approving more military aid that Ukraine says it needs to fend off Russia’s invasion, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said Republican “hostage taking” brought negotiations to a standstill.
Schumer’s remarks on the Senate floor were an indication that the two parties are far apart on an agreement on aid to Kyiv, with the New York Democrat blaming the GOP for insisting on passing immigration policies championed by Donald Trump – which his party’s lawmakers will never support.
“If Republicans are unable to produce a broadly bipartisan immigration proposal, they should not block aid to Ukraine in response. They should not be resorting to hostage taking,” Schumer said. “That would be madness, utter madness. It would be an insult to our Ukrainian friends who are fighting for their lives against Russian autocracy. And it could go down as a major turning point where the West didn’t live up to its responsibilities and things turned away from our democracies and our values and towards autocracy.”
He closed with a reference to Ronald Reagan, the Republican former president known for his opposition to the Soviet Union in the 1980s:
Ronald Reagan would be rolling in his grave – rolling in his grave – if he saw his own party let Vladimir Putin roll through Europe.
So, once again, I urge my Republican colleagues to think carefully about what’s at stake with this week’s vote. What we do now will reverberate across the world for years and decades to come.
And history – history – will render harsh judgment on those who abandoned democracy for Donald Trump’s extreme immigration policies.
Updated
House to release new footage of January 6, with rioters' faces blurred out, Johnson announces
Republican House speaker Mike Johnson said he had approved the release of hours of security camera footage of the January 6 insurrection, but with the faces of those who stormed the Capitol blurred out.
Johnson, who was an organizer of an effort by Republican House lawmakers to assist Donald Trump’s failed legal effort to disrupt Joe Biden’s election win, said obscuring rioters’ identities was necessary to protect them from prosecution:
Speaker Mike Johnson says the House is working on releasing new Jan. 6 tapes and will blur out the faces of rioters:
— The Recount (@therecount) December 5, 2023
“We don’t want them to be retaliated against and to be charged by the DOJ and to have other, you know, concerns and problems.” pic.twitter.com/dExchE0qbr
Former speaker Kevin McCarthy turned over hours of footage to then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson earlier this year, which Carlson used to downplay the severity of the insurrection. McCarthy later pledged to release the rest of the video to other media outlets.
As it becomes clear talks over aiding Ukraine have unraveled, Democrats are accusing the GOP of jeopardizing national security and potentially handing Vladimir Putin a win.
Here’s Chris Murphy, the Democratic senator from Connecticut who was involved in the negotiations:
This is a choice Republicans are making. They have decided to play games with world security by requiring their hardline immigration policy demands be met before Ukraine is saved.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 5, 2023
This isn’t a game. This is the future of the world. https://t.co/n4sbhtKn5i
More notable is this comment from Mitt Romney, the Utah Republican who will retire from the Senate after next year, and accuses the Democrats of wanting to allow “an open border”:
Dems want $106B—GOP wants a closed border. That’s the trade. But clueless Dems want to negotiate the border bill. Not going to happen. Is an open border more important to Dems than Ukraine and Israel?
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 5, 2023
Here’s Republican House speaker Mike Johnson’s full letter to the White House, where he makes clear the GOP is not backing down from its demand for strict border policies in return for approving aid to Ukraine:
My response to the White House on their lack of a clearly defined strategy and end game for prevailing in Ukraine and the need for transformative change to our nation’s border security laws: pic.twitter.com/JZZhIp7K4v
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 5, 2023
The tone of Mike Johnson’s letter is generally bad news for the White House’s effort to convince Congress to approve a bill that includes both aid to Ukraine and Israel as well as some new border security funds without the hardline measures Republicans want.
Johnson starts off by saying that the House has already approved aid to Israel, and notes, “Senate Democrats, however, have refused to consider the measure”. But Democrats oppose the bill because it offsets the aid with budget cuts to the IRS tax authority, which the party will not support.
He then brings up the Secure the Border act, which the GOP-controlled House has approved but, like the Israel aid bill, is full of provisions Democrats will never get behind. “Senate Democrats have refused to act on that bill,” Johnson says.
But while cutting the IRS’s budget appears off the table, the GOP is pressing on with trying to get Democrats to agree to at least part of the Secure the Border Act in exchange for new Ukraine aid. Talks on doing that have stalled.
Even if Johnson does eventually green-light a deal for aid to Kyiv, he makes clear he will do so skeptically. “Congress and the American people must be provided with answers to our repeated questions concerning: the Administration’s strategy to prevail in Ukraine; clearly defined and obtainable objectives; transparency and accountability for U.S. taxpayer dollars invested there; and what specific resources are required to achieve victory and a sustainable peace,” the speaker writes.
Republican House speaker Johnson doubles down on demand for border security deal in exchange for Ukraine aid
In a letter to the White House sent today, Republican House speaker Mike Johnson said he would not support further military aid to Ukraine unless the White House agrees to tighten border security.
While Johnson does not specify which policies he wants to see enacted, he refers to the Secure the Border Act, which would require construction of a wall on the border with Mexico first proposed by Donald Trump to be restarted, and limit the ability of asylum seekers to stay in the United States – all proposals Democrats and the Biden administration opppose.
“Supplemental Ukraine funding is dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws,” Johnson writes in the letter to top White House budget official Shalanda Young, adding that he first informed her of these demands in late October.
“The open U.S. border is an unconscionable and unsustainable catastrophe, and we have a moral responsibility to insist this madness stops immediately,” Johnson continued. “Rather than engaging with Congressional Republicans to discuss logical reforms, the Biden Administration has ignored reality, choosing instead to engage in political posturing. We stand ready and willing to work with the Administration on a robust border security package that protects the interests of the American people.”
Updated
Here’s Virginia Democrat Don Beyer with another sense of the vibe in the Capitol, as negotiations over new Ukraine aid stalled.
In the below tweet, Beyer accuses the GOP of demanding a “ransom” – by which he means stricter security measures like a border wall and changes to asylum law to keep people out of the country while their applications are processed – in exchange for supporting assistance to Kyiv:
Leading Senate Republican says he and his fellow Republicans will deliver a huge victory to Putin and stab the Ukrainians in the back unless their ransom is paid. Using the Ukrainian people as leverage for extortion like this is frankly appalling. https://t.co/D8eNc46fQC
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) December 4, 2023
The negotiations over a new aid package for Ukraine are now up in the air, and there’s no telling how they may be resolved. For an idea of how we got here, here’s the Guardian’s Joan E Greve with a look at what is at stake in the talks, and how their resolution could affect Kyiv’s ability to defend against Russia’s invasion:
The White House issued an urgent warning to Congress on Monday, predicting that Ukraine will soon lose ground in its war against Russia without another infusion of financial aid from the US.
“I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks,” Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote in her letter to congressional leaders.
“There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money – and nearly out of time.”
In October, the White House asked Congress to approve a $106bn supplemental funding bill that would provide assistance to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific while also strengthening border security. However, bipartisan negotiations over that bill have now stalled.
Although previous funding packages for Ukraine have won widespread bipartisan support in Congress, the issue has become increasingly contentious in the Republican-controlled House.
Given hard-right Republicans’ entrenched opposition to additional Ukraine aid, the new Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, must walk a fine line in his negotiations with the Senate.
Here’s everything you need to know about the path forward for Ukraine aid:
Further complicating the negotiations to approve more aid to Ukraine is the fact that Joe Biden has simultaneously requested Congress approve a military aid package for Israel to help it respond to Hamas’s 7 October terror attack. While the president envisioned a large foreign aid package encompassing the assistance to both countries as well as some additional funds for border security, Republicans in the House responded by approving only the aid to Israel while cutting funding to the IRS tax authority. Democrats rejected that proposal, kicking off the negotiations on trying to find a bipartisan compromise on the more stringent immigration measures Republicans want, which appear to have stalled. From October, here’s the Guardian’s David Smith on the proposal Biden made, which is at the center of the mess in Congress:
Joe Biden has drawn a direct, provocative link between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’s attack on Israel as he urged Americans not to walk away from their role as “a beacon to the world”.
In only the second Oval Office address of his presidency, Biden said he would ask Congress to provide aid for both Israel and Ukraine and denounced the scourge of antisemitism and Islamophobia at home.
The president’s 15-minute address sought to weave the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts together to convince war-weary voters and hardline Republicans of America’s obligations. It is a conflation that will make some uneasy, especially as Israel, with vastly superior military power, prepares for a ground invasion of Gaza.
“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: they both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy,” said Biden, sitting at the Resolute desk with flags, family photos, gold curtains and a darkened window behind him.
The duelling crises are providing a daunting diplomatic test for the former chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee who, at 80, is older than the state of Israel itself. That did not prevent him making a whirlwind trip to the country on Wednesday.
Senators snipe at each other after negotiations over border security break down, imperiling Ukraine aid
Following reports that talks to approve a new tranche of aid for Ukraine alongside tighter border security measures had broken down, senators took to X to complain about the other sides’ negotiating tactics.
The GOP is demanding tougher immigration policies in exchange for its votes to approve more military aid to Kyiv, but much of what they are demanding is unpalatable to Democrats, and the two sides reportedly stopped talking last week.
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator from Connecticut, complained that the GOP was not interested in reaching a compromise:
Apparently I’ve wasted the last 3 weeks of my life since this was never a negotiation - just a take it or leave it demand. 🙃 https://t.co/TY6KDpYxOF
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 4, 2023
Independent Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona chimed in to come complain about leaks coming out of the negotiations:
This isn’t true.
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) December 4, 2023
Getting to yes is hard enough, given the real differences between D and R positions on the border.
We don’t need potshots from “sources” who aren’t in the room to make it harder.
Meanwhile, my state is in crisis while the gov’t does nothing to solve it. https://t.co/DkCcPjBLxY
James Lankford of Oklahoma has been leading the talks for the Republicans, and yesterday insisted that the two sides were working to find a resolution:
We continue to work to find a solution that will protect our national security, stop the human trafficking and prevent the cartels from exploiting the obvious loopholes in our law. That is the goal & we will continue to work until we get it right.
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) December 4, 2023
Ukraine's Zelenskiy to press Senate on resolving military aid logjam
Good morning, US politics blog readers. Congress has for months been deadlocked on approving new military aid for Ukraine, and this afternoon, the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will remotely address senators at 3pm eastern time to remind them of the stakes. The White House yesterday warned that it is weeks away from running out of money to support Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s invasion, and in addition to Zelenskiy’s speech to senators, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak will be in the capitol to press lawmakers to keep up the support.
Part of the reason that Congress has not approved more aid to Ukraine is that Republicans are insisting any new funding is coupled with changes to border policy that are intended to address the surge in migrants entering the country. Immigration policy is one of the most divisive issues in Washington DC, and much of what the GOP has demanded, such as restarting construction of a border wall, or changing asylum policies to let fewer people remain in the country while their case is hear, are unpalatable to Democrats. Negotiations between the two sides reportedly broke down over the weekend, and it’s unclear if they are back on. We’ll see if there’s any movement today in those talks, or if Zelenskiy’s pleas make a difference.
Here’s what else is going on:
Kamala Harris will hold a behind-closed-doors meeting at 1.15pm with former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords about the administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence.
House Republican leadership will hold a press conference at 10am today, and undoubtedly be asked about lots of things, including speaker Mike Johnson’s stance on Ukraine funding.
Joe Lieberman, the former senator and founder of No Labels, which is considering running a third-party presidential candidate, floated the idea in a Fox News interview of drafting Nikki Haley, should she fail to win the Republican presidential nomination.
