Sen. Menendez fumes at Biden over border negotiations with GOP

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez on Tuesday fumed at the Biden administration for its reported negotiations with Republicans as the GOP seeks to secure border security reform as a condition for approving aid to Ukraine.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients will reportedly join negotiations between lawmakers in a bid to provide presidential input, The Hill reported. Menendez, for his part, excoriated the administration for entertaining the proposed bargain.

"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," Menendez said.

He further accused the White House of ignoring requests from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to discuss the matter and insisted that the administration "decided to capitulate to radical Republican demands that will result in permanent, dangerous and sweeping immigration policies that will only hurt vulnerable individuals fleeing violence and persecution."

Negotiations, however, appear to have stalled, with Senate Republicans standing firm in their demands. House Speaker Mike Johnson, moreover, plans to send lawmakers home for Christmas this week, presenting logistical difficulties for government to reach a deal in 2023. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday suggested it was "practically impossible" to secure a deal by Christmas.

Menendez's comments come amid Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington hoping to convince dissident Republicans to approve aid to the war-torn country amid signs of Russian breakthroughs.

The New Jersey senator, for his part, stepped down from his post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee amid a federal indictment alleging he acted as a foreign agent of Egypt. He has pleaded not guilty.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.