Schumer says Senate will ‘keep at’ border talks and leaves door open to delaying recess

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said there has been “significant progress” made in the last couple of days on reaching a deal on border security measures that could unlock GOP support for aid to Ukraine and Israel.

The New York senator filed cloture on Wednesday night on a judicial nominee and a Justice Department nominee, which could set up votes on Friday, leaving the door open to force votes and keep senators in Washington for an additional day. The Senate was initially expected to leave for the holiday recess on Thursday.

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“Yesterday we had another round of productive conversations, and there was more progress,” Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday. “Last night, I filed a cloture on a couple nominations to the federal bench and the Department of Justice, with possible votes on these nominees as soon as tomorrow.”

The Senate majority leader pleaded with Republicans to keep working to strike a deal instead of leaving Washington.

“Let’s keep working to find a solution, instead of rushing for the exits,” Schumer said. “If Republicans are serious about getting something done, they should not be eager to go home.”

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Even if the Senate is able to come to an agreement, it is unlikely the House will come back into session to pass it. The lower chamber voted on the annual defense bill and is expected to leave for the rest of the year on Thursday. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has previously said he does not want to rush to pass a big-ticket bill before the end of the year.

“This may be our last best chance to get this legislation done,” Schumer said. “After weeks of deadlock, we’ve seen significant progress over the last few days, and we should take advantage of the opportunity because we may not get one again for quite a while.”