Senate negotiators are still working towards a compromise that includes both U.S. aid for Ukraine and security for the U.S. southern border. Support among Republicans for Ukraine aid continues to soften nationally, and Republican senators are demanding that a final agreement include funding for border security along the U.S.-Mexico border and changes to U.S. asylum policy.

While Senate Democrats have remained largely resistant to changes to federal asylum policy, President Joe Biden has voiced a willingness to compromise on the issue. However, questions remain as to whether any Senate agreement will be able to gain sufficient support in the House, which recessed last week and is not expected to return until Jan. 9, 2024.

Unless House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) calls the House back to Washington, D.C., early, there will be only eight legislative days on the schedule before the Jan. 19 expiration of some government programs and 12 days before the Feb. 2 deadline for those remaining, which are mostly defense and homeland security programs.