.ON DECEMBER 6TH Republicans declined Head of state Joe Biden's request for $106bn of backing, most of it to help branch Ukraine, on the manner that its arrangements to secure America's southern boundary performed not go far good enough. A team of legislators currently seem to be near striking a bipartisan package on migration policies, thought to feature more durable plans as the cost of Republican support. Yet it looks likely to be defeated in the House of Agents. On January 14th Mike Johnson, our home sound speaker, pointed out that significant border reform would need to wait till a Republican politician was actually president. Yet on January 17th, after an appointment with Mr Biden, he hinted that he could be ready for a concession besides. Is one probably?