Biden and Ukraine Need a Senate Deal – WSJ

Time isn t on the president s side. If this matter isn t resolved before the House and Senate adjourn in January, the results of the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15 could convince Republican officials looking for an alternative to Donald Trump that no one is likely to defeat him for the party s nomination. Mr. Trump, who openly opposes linking border reform to Ukraine aid, would likely view Republican cooperation with Mr. Biden on this issue as a career-ending transgression.

This is why the president must begin negotiations immediately and insist that the Senate remain in session until it passes a package that contains border reforms and aid to our allies, including Ukraine. Once this happens, he should deliver a prime-time address from the Oval Office to explain why this package is in the national interest and call on the House to enact the Senate bill.

Though Speaker Mike Johnson has reiterated his support for Ukraine aid, anti-Ukraine Republicans will likely pressure him to adjourn for the year without taking up the Senate bill. To counter such a move, Mr. Biden should make clear that he is prepared to use his constitutional authority to call the House back into session. If the speaker fails to persuade a majority of the Republican caucus to back the measure, he would face by far the most consequential decision of his career whether to bring the bill to the floor anyway, which would probably cost him the speakership, or let the bill die, along with Ukraine s hopes of prevailing against Russia.

It s a high-stakes gamble for the president, but the alternative is worse. If Mr. Biden can t secure the continuation of American aid to counter Russian aggression, the already dicey prospects for more European aid to Ukraine would darken.

The fate of Ukraine, the peace of Europe and the future of the Western alliance hang in the balance, as does Mr. Biden s presidency. After the fiasco of the Afghanistan withdrawal, defeat in Ukraine would undermine what is left of his reputation as an effective steward of American foreign policy. As public support for his re-election shrinks, the last thing he needs is another failure.

via www.wsj.com

Bill Galston.