Biden Should Cave on Immigration
Holding Ukraine aid hostage for immigration reform is a strategic mistake by Republicans. Biden should exploit it by giving them what they want.
1. Hostages
Joe Biden and Democrats want to pass a bill funding $110 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Republicans are refusing to pass any bill to give aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Why? Republicans are holding this aid hostage and will not release it unless Democrats give them what they want on immigration.
It’s a complicated situation, because House Republicans have one set of immigration demands while Republicans in the Senate refuse to say what their demands are. And also you are dealing with a bunch of nihilists who have sacrificed every foreign policy principle they claimed to uphold for the past half century to keep a racist game show host happy. We will explore these complications in a minute.
But let’s start with the conclusion: Biden and the Democrats should cave. They should give Republicans (almost) whatever they want.
Trigger warning: You’re not going to like this.
Join Bulwark+ to unlock the rest
Become a paying member of The Bulwark to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content. A subscription gets you:
- Unlimited access to articles and newsletters including The Triad by JVL and Receipts by Catherine Rampell.
- Ad-free editions of our shows (with transcripts) and member-only shows like The Secret Podcast.
- Plus community chats and commenting features. Your support helps keep our work sustainable and available to those who cannot afford a membership. Cancel anytime.