Senate to return next week in hopes of pre-Christmas border deal

The Senate will return Monday in the hopes of getting a border deal to unlock aid for Ukraine before Christmas.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) decided Thursday to keep members in town next week, saying in remarks on the floor that negotiators will have more runway to seek a deal that has been elusive for members. 

“If we believe something is important and urgent, we should stay and get the job done. That is certainly the case with the supplemental,” Schumer said. “For the information of all senators, after we finish today, the Senate will return Monday. That will give negotiators from the White House, Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans a time to work through the weekend in an effort to reach a framework agreement.”

“Members need to be here next week. We have to get this done,” he added. 

Schumer added that members should expect to vote on a shell bill that would eventually serve as the vehicle to the supplemental package including a potential border deal. 

The Senate had been scheduled to adjourn at the end of this week for its holiday recess.

The chamber is expected to need more time to finish work, including reauthorization of Federal Aviation Administration funding and a number of nominations, including potential votes on four-star military promotions that are being held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.).

Negotiations have been ongoing for weeks, but only in recent days have administration officials taken a meaningful role in talks. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with Senate negotiators, top White House staffers and Senate leadership on Tuesday and Wednesday night. 

According to multiple senators close to the talks, they have made progress in recent days. However, Senate Republicans argued there was not enough progress to warrant keeping lawmakers in town past Thursday. 

They said negotiators are still batting around ideas and are not anywhere near drafting legislative text.

“Everything right now is still conceptual,” Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, told reporters earlier Thursday. “There hasn’t been anything nailed down, agreed upon, let alone reduced to paper.”

“They’re making progress, but … the question is: Is it enough progress? I’m trying to be hopeful but have a hard time seeing that,” he added.

Earlier Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the border talks were “going in the right direction” and that she was optimistic about a deal, although she couldn’t provide a timeline for one.

Jean-Pierre added that it’s encouraging that talks are continuing and said that President Biden has been in “regular contact, regular touch” with congressional leaders while his staff holds talks in the Capitol.

Adding to the Senate’s headaches is that the House adjourned until the new year earlier Thursday, meaning that any vote in the chamber might not happen until January unless Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) calls members back to vote.

“I think we’re a long way from being able to pass something that matters by the end of the year,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said. “They’re using this to try to put something together. I’m not gonna take the bait. There is no language to even look at.”

“The House is very important to me. Can they do their part?” Graham said. “At this moment a deal by the end of the year is just not remotely possible.”

Alex Gangitano contributed. Updated at 3:11 p.m.