Republicans and Democrats have been working on foreign aid and border policies over the Thanksgiving break. Senator Michael Bennett from Colorado believes that an agreement will be reached to fulfill the responsibility to the great people of Ukraine who have fulfilled their responsibility to democracy itself.
Senator Bennett emphasizes the importance of keeping embers alive and states that the aid to Ukraine should be funded without a deal on the border. The Ukrainian citizens have pushed Putin out of half of the occupied territory and rendered the Black Sea fleet useless without a navy. However, some politicians are attempting to leverage the situation to negotiate a deal on border security. Senator Bennett acknowledges the need for border system improvement due to transnational gangs overwhelming the border in some respects.
He believes that if a bipartisan deal can be reached that is rational, consistent with the rule of law and the nation’s history, it should be pursued. However, if an agreement cannot be made, the obligations to Ukraine should still be fulfilled. Time is running out, which is why Senator Bennett and others are working on finding a resolution.
Immigration has been a longstanding problem in Congress, and Senator Bennett was part of a group that wrote a comprehensive bill that was ultimately killed. He believes that if that bill had passed, the country would have a functional immigration system and border today. While a comprehensive deal may not be possible in the current conditions, progress can still be made on specific issues such as modification of the asylum standard.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is aware of the situation, and Senator Chuck Schumer has been in communication with her. Senator Bennett recalls the 2013 immigration policy transformation vote in the Senate, where almost 70 senators voted in favor. However, a small minority of radical extremists in the House issued a veto, and Speaker John Boehner’s biggest regret was not overcoming them. Senator Bennett emphasizes that it is crucial to not allow a small group to veto the will of the American people in this situation.
Switching topics to the war, Senator Bennett mentions that he has viewed footage of the Hamas attack on October 7th. Witnessing the worst tactics that Hamas has taken, he understands the desire for revenge that stems from such attacks. He also highlights the fact that Hamas is using civilians as human shields, which is a disturbing part of their strategy.
While recognizing Hamas’s tactics, Senator Bennett believes that Israel must hold itself to the highest standard and minimize civilian casualties. He acknowledges that as a nation, the United States has always regretted not meeting that high standard in times of war.
The debate on whether aid given to Israel should be conditioned on meeting that high standard is something that can be discussed. However, Senator Bennett believes that Israel should meet the high standard, and the United States should continue to support them.