Share this @internewscast.com

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., on Sunday said a deal on immigration and border policy could be reached this week.

Lankford, who has been leading negotiations for Senate Republicans on border policy, said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday” that border negotiators are “hoping to get text out by later on this week.”

“Everybody will have time to be able to read and go through it. No one’s going to be jammed in this process,” Lankford said.

Lankford, alongside Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., have held discussions in recent weeks to reach an agreement on toughening asylum laws. House Republicans have demanded new restrictions on migration in order to secure their support for new aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia.

“It’s a matter of trying to be able to get this out,” Lankford said. “But to make law, we’ve got to have a Democrat Senate, a Democratic White House and a Republican House to be able to go through this. So this agreement has to work. Everyone’s counting on this actually working.”

The Senate negotiators met for more than three hours in the Capitol building on Friday working on coming to a consensus on any remaining sticking points before members return this week from winter recess.

That meeting came after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and dozens of House Republicans visited the southern border in Texas last week to bring attention to record migrant crossings and criticize the Biden administration’s immigration policy. Their trip fueled threats by right-wing Republicans to shut down the government in the coming weeks unless President Joe Biden and Democrats agree on imposing stricter border laws.

Johnson and other GOP leaders, however, have not endorsed threats of a shutdown coming from the most right-leaning House members. In a separate interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Johnson said that he thinks Congress “may be close to a deal” on top-line numbers to avoid a shutdown in the coming weeks and that he has not seen the text of what Senate negotiators are working on.

In his interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Lankford indicated that he is open to Johnson sitting down with the White House directly to reach an agreement on border policy and that the House could make its own changes to a Senate-passed bill. (If the House did make changes, the Senate would need to agree to them as well to send a bill to Biden’s desk to become law.)

“If we can pass this in the days ahead in the Senate and send it over to the House, the House can work to improve it or the House can take a serious look at it and say, ‘Look, this makes real progress on the border, let’s go get this, bank this and then keep going for more,’” Lankford said.

Johnson, on CBS, reiterated that the House is “insisting upon the provisions of H.R. 2,” a Republican-led border bill that passed the chamber along party lines.

Asked if he’ll commit to bringing a Senate deal to the House floor, Johnson replied, “It’s a hypothetical question.”

Pressed on whether he wants a deal, Johnson said, “Of course we want a deal.”

“We want to solve this crisis,” he said. “We have to — we have a moral obligation to do so.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Expanding Wildfires in Oregon and California Force Evacuations and Threaten Homes

Wildfires have intensified overnight in California wine country and Central Oregon, leading…
Tourists at the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt.

Tragic School Beach Trip in Egypt: Six Students Drown, 24 Others Injured

AT least six students have reportedly drowned and 24 others have been…
Two hikers walking on a foggy volcanic landscape.

Concerns Arise for Tourist Group Lost While Hiking Volcano on Bear-Infested Island: Nine Women and One Man Missing

FEARS are growing for a group of ten tourists who vanished while…
US heat wave smothers Pacific Northwest, poses extreme risk in California and Arizona

Intense Heat Wave Engulfs Pacific Northwest, Creates Severe Danger in California and Arizona

SEATTLE (AP) — The Western U.S. faced a scorching heat wave on…
FBI warns seniors about billion-dollar scam draining retirement funds, expert says AI driving it

AI-Powered Scams Threaten Seniors’ Retirement Funds: FBI Issues Warning

A cybersecurity specialist has issued a warning about a particular scam that…
US seeks to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda

U.S. Plans to Deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda

(The Hill) — The federal government said it would deport Kilmar Abrego…
Office shooter's rampage shows terrifying rise of motive-free violence, experts warn

Experts Warn of Alarming Increase in Random Acts of Violence, Highlighted by Office Shooter’s Rampage

As Americans continue to grapple with needless violence plaguing their neighborhoods, a…
President Trump holding a photo of himself and President Putin.

Trump Sets Two-Week Deadline for Zelensky-Putin Peace Talks and Extends Unusual World Cup Invitation to Putin

DONALD Trump has announced that he will give Vladimir Putin a couple…
Screenshot of a news report about a baby kidnapping.

Eerie Clue Emerges in Emmanuel Haro Case as Investigators Continue Search for Remains and Provide Ominous Update

THE case of missing 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro has taken another heartbreaking turn…
Forest fire at night.

Massive Forest Fires Force Village Evacuations in Portugal as Hundreds of Firefighters Combat the Flames

TWO more ferocious forest fires have erupted in Portugal – and this…
What's next for former live music venue Uptown Theatre Chicago at 4816 North Broadway?

What Does the Future Hold for Chicago’s Former Uptown Theatre at 4816 North Broadway?

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Uptown Theatre opened 100 years ago with the…
Tribute to Iván Meléndez, a teenage cyclist.

Tragic Accident Claims Life of 17-Year-Old Cyclist in Three-Day Race After Unexpected Team Substitution

A PROMISING cyclist was tragically killed in a mass crash during a…