Here's the latest on the border and Ukraine deal.
Republicans in Congress suffered a humiliating series of setbacks on key parts of their agenda on Tuesday, turning the Capitol into a den of dysfunction and leaving several major issues, including US military aid to Ukraine and Israel, in limbo amid political arguments.
While Republicans in the Senate torpedoed a border deal they demanded, their House counterparts' bid to oust Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas collapsed as Republicans defected.
Then came one last hard blow. Minutes after Republicans fell one vote short of impeaching Mr. Mayorkas — a punishment the party has promised its base since winning the majority — the House rejected legislation they put forward to spend $17.6 billion in military aid. to send aid to Israel. The measure drew opposition from Democrats, who called it a cynical political ploy to undermine efforts to pass a broader foreign military aid bill including Ukraine. They were joined by a group of far-right Republicans, who opposed the measure because the money was not accompanied by cuts.
Taken together, the events that unfolded on Capitol Hill on Tuesday provided a vivid portrait of the disarray in Congress caused by Republicans, who are determined to oppose President Biden at every opportunity but lack a large enough majority or the unity to carry out their will.
They have tried to halt efforts by both sides to send more military aid to Ukraine and strike a compromise to secure the border against an influx of migrants. Instead, they have proposed helping only Israel and pushing for the removal of Mr. Biden's top immigration official. Tuesday's back-to-back defeats show that while they are adept at thwarting action at critical points, they are struggling to tackle them.
The paralysis jeopardized the fate of aid to Ukraine and Israel, closing what was seen as the best remaining avenue on Capitol Hill for approval of critical military aid to U.S. allies. A broad measure that includes both is expected to fail in a test vote in the Senate on Wednesday, immediately raising questions about whether Congress could save the relief package — and if so, how.
Kayla Guo And Lucas Broadwater reporting contributed.