Biden brings congressional leaders to White House at pivotal time for Ukraine aid and US border deal

By SEUNG MIN KIM, LISA MASCARO and AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A meeting between President Joe Biden, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other officials highlights the precarious nature of the complex talks to unlock aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies. Negotiations hinge on lawmakers’ abilities to enact tougher measures at the U.S.-Mexico border. While Biden’s national security team sought to underscore the importance of unlocking Ukraine funding, Johnson is pushing the White House and Senate negotiators on immigration measures that go beyond what Biden is willing to accept. Still, an optimistic-feeling Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says that the prospects of a border deal are “a little bit greater than half now.”