.ON DECEMBER 6TH Republicans declined President Joe Biden's ask for $106bn of funding, a lot of it to help branch Ukraine, on the manner that its own arrangements to get United States's southern perimeter carried out not go far sufficient. A group of legislators currently appear close to assaulting a bipartisan bargain on migration rules, thought to feature tougher plans as the rate of Republican support. But it looks very likely to become finished off in the House of Agents. On January 14th Mike Johnson, the House audio speaker, claimed that purposeful boundary reform would certainly have to wait till a Republican was president. Yet on January 17th, after a conference along with Mr Biden, he suggested that he could be open up to a compromise besides. Is actually one likely?