Incommunicado: McConnell, Biden reportedly have not had talks about border negotiations

President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have reportedly not had negotiations regarding the southern border as part of a broader foreign aid package for Israel and Ukraine. 

Senators from both the Republican and Democrat parties have called on Biden and McConnell to directly engage with one another on these negotiations, according to a report from The Hill. 

McConnell said earlier this month that passing Ukraine aid before Christmas break would be "practically impossible."

Earlier this month, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the House GOP's stance is firm: funding for Ukraine must come coupled with border security.  

“From the very beginning, when I was handed the gavel, we needed clarity on what we're doing in Ukraine and how we'll have proper oversight of the spending of precious taxpayer dollars, and we needed a transformative change at the border. Thus far we've gotten neither,” the Louisiana Republican said.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has come out and said that Biden shouldn't negotiate with Republicans on the border, arguing it would hurt immigrant communities. 

“It is truly shameful that President Biden and his administration are considering selling out migrants and asylum-seekers in order to placate extreme Republicans who are jeopardizing our national security and that of our allies just to score a political point,” said Menendez.