President Joe Biden told a group of mayors he supports “massive changes” at the southern border.

Speaking at the White House to a gathering of the United States Conference of Mayors, Biden says he hopes to have an agreement in place in the Senate next week.

“I’m ready to solve the problem, I really am,” Biden said. “Massive changes, and I mean it sincerely.”

Biden has been criticized by mayors from both parties amid record illegal border crossings during his first three years in office. One of the mayors in attendance, Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, has struggled with an influx of migrants to his city and has blamed the “failure of federal policies” for fueling the problem.

Two mayors from border cities, Brownsville’s John Cowen and Edinburg, Texas’s Ramiro Garza Jr., were also in the room.

Biden spoke for more than 20 minutes on other topics before turning his attention southward.

“And I want to talk about another top issue: the border,” he said. The president lamented that when he turns on the TV, he hears, “Biden is for free and open borders, just tear down everything, everybody come, no restrictions.”

“It used to be a bipartisan issue in this country,” Biden said. “It should be one again.”

His administration is negotiating a national security bill right now that would fund Ukraine’s war against Russia alongside changes to immigration law that would lower the flow of border crossers. Biden said he’s making progress.

“My team has been at the table for weeks now with a bipartisan group of senators to negotiate a deal, including the border,” he said. “Because I believe we need significant policy changes at the border, including changes in our asylum system to ensure that we have the authorities we need to control the border.”

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He then said he expects something may pass through the Senate, wondering aloud if House Republicans will accept it.

“They have to choose whether they want to solve a problem or keep weaponizing the issue to score political points against the president,” Biden said.